I have a DREAM Act question...

[vaberella]

Okay, I'm assuming that after the break the New Congress will be sworn in. I don't really remember the number of people in the House we have. I know we have a few Black Republicans (I'm not sure how supportive they'll be). But I have a question.

Do you guys think that, and Rubio came to mind for this, that there's a chance we can pass the Dream Act with the new congress. With people like Rubio having a seat?

How many people in the New Congress do you think will vote for the Dream Act? Below is the list of the noobs in office. I see a few Spanish names, but I'm not sure.

List below (link here: http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/newmems.php):

A
Adams, Sandy (Florida Republican, District 24)
Amash, Justin (Michigan Republican, District 3)
Ayotte, Kelly A (New Hampshire Republican, Senate)
B
Barletta, Louis J (Pennsylvania Republican, District 11)
Bass, Karen (California Democrat, District 33)
Bass, Charles (New Hampshire Republican, District 2)
Benishek, Daniel J (Michigan Republican, District 1)
Berg, Rick (North Dakota Republican, District 1)
Black, Diane Lynn (Tennessee Republican, District 6)
Blumenthal, Richard (Connecticut Democrat, Senate)
Brooks, Mo (Alabama Republican, District 5)
Bucshon, Larry D (Indiana Republican, District 8)
Buerkle, Ann Marie (New York Republican, District 25)
C
Canseco, Francisco (Texas Republican, District 23)
Carney, John (Delaware Democrat, District 1)
Chabot, Steve (Ohio Republican, District 1)
Cicilline, David N (Rhode Island Democrat, District 1)
Clarke, Hansen (Michigan Democrat, District 13)
Coats, Daniel R (Indiana Republican, Senate)
Coons, Chris (Delaware Democrat, Senate)
Cravaack, Chip (Minnesota Republican, District 8)
Crawford, Rick (Arkansas Republican, District 1)
D
Denham, Jeff (California Republican, District 19)
Desjarlais, Scott Eugene (Tennessee Republican, District 4)
Dold, Robert (Illinois Republican, District 10)
Duffy, Sean P (Wisconsin Republican, District 7)
Duncan, Jeff (South Carolina Republican, District 3)
E
Ellmers, Renee (North Carolina Republican, District 2)
F
Farenthold, Randolph Blake (Texas Republican, District 27)
Fincher, Steve (Tennessee Republican, District 8)
Fitzpatrick, Michael G (Pennsylvania Republican, District 8)
Fleischmann, Charles J (Tennessee Republican, District 3)
Flores, William (Texas Republican, District 17)
G
Gardner, Cory (Colorado Republican, District 4)
Gibbs, Bob (Ohio Republican, District 18)
Gibson, Chris (New York Republican, District 20)
Gosar, Paul (Arizona Republican, District 1)
Gowdy, Trey (South Carolina Republican, District 4)
Griffin, Tim (Arkansas Republican, District 2)
Griffith, Morgan (Virginia Republican, District 9)
Grimm, Michael (New York Republican, District 13)
Guinta, Frank (New Hampshire Republican, District 1)
H
Hanabusa, Colleen (Hawaii Democrat, District 1)
Hanna, Richard L (New York Republican, District 24)
Harris, Andy (Maryland Republican, District 1)
Hartzler, Vicky (Missouri Republican, District 4)
Hayworth, Nan (New York Republican, District 19)
Heck, Joe (Nevada Republican, District 3)
Herrera, Jaime (Washington Republican, District 3)
Hoeven, John (North Dakota Republican, Senate)
Huelskamp, Tim (Kansas Republican, District 1)
Huizenga, Bill (Michigan Republican, District 2)
Hultgren, Randy (Illinois Republican, District 14)
Hurt, Robert (Virginia Republican, District 5)
J
Johnson, Bill (Ohio Republican, District 6)
Johnson, Ron (Wisconsin Republican, Senate)
K
Keating, William R (Massachusetts Democrat, District 10)
Kelly, Mike (Pennsylvania Republican, District 3)
Kinzinger, Adam (Illinois Republican, District 11)
L
Labrador, Raul (Idaho Republican, District 1)
Landry, Jeffrey M (Louisiana Republican, District 3)
Lankford, James (Oklahoma Republican, District 5)
Lee, Mike (Utah Republican, Senate)
Long, Billy (Missouri Republican, District 7)
M
Manchin, Joe (West Virginia Democrat, Senate)
Marino, Tom (Pennsylvania Republican, District 10)
McKinley, David B (West Virginia Republican, District 1)
Meehan, Patrick L (Pennsylvania Republican, District 7)
Mulvaney, John Michael "Mick'' (South Carolina Republican, District 5)
N
Noem, Kristi Lynn (South Dakota Republican, District 1)
Nugent, Richard B (Florida Republican, District 5)
Nunnelee, Alan (Mississippi Republican, District 1)
P
Palazzo, Steven (Mississippi Republican, District 4)
Paul, Rand (Kentucky Republican, Senate)
Pearce, Steve (New Mexico Republican, District 2)
Pompeo, Michael Richard (Kansas Republican, District 4)
Portman, Rob (Ohio Republican, Senate)
Q
Quayle, Ben (Arizona Republican, District 3)
R
Reed, Tom (New York Republican, District 29)
Renacci, James B (Ohio Republican, District 16)
Ribble, Reid (Wisconsin Republican, District 8)
Richmond, Cedric L (Louisiana Democrat, District 2)
Rigell, Scott (Virginia Republican, District 2)
Rivera, David (Florida Republican, District 25)
Roby, Martha (Alabama Republican, District 2)
Rokita, Ted (Indiana Republican, District 4)
Ross, Dennis (Florida Republican, District 12)
Rubio, Marco (Florida Republican, Senate)
Runyan, Jon (New Jersey Republican, District 3)
S
Schilling, Bobby (Illinois Republican, District 17)
Schweikert, David (Arizona Republican, District 5)
Scott, Austin (Georgia Republican, District 8)
Scott, Tim (South Carolina Republican, District 1)
Sewell, Terri (Alabama Democrat, District 7)
Southerland, Steve (Florida Republican, District 2)
Stivers, Steve (Ohio Republican, District 15)
Stutzman, Marlin A (Indiana Republican, District 3)
T
Tipton, Scott (Colorado Republican, District 3)
Toomey, Pat (Pennsylvania Republican, Senate)
W
Walberg, Tim (Michigan Republican, District 7)
Walsh, Joe (Illinois Republican, District 8)
Webster, Daniel (Florida Republican, District 8)
West, Allen B (Florida Republican, District 22)
Wilson, Frederica S (Florida Democrat, District 17)
Womack, Steve (Arkansas Republican, District 3)
Woodall, Rob (Georgia Republican, District 7)
Y
Yoder, Kevin W (Kansas Republican, District 3)
Young, Todd (Indiana Republican, District 9)

[Hello_Kitty]

1. I don't see it getting through the House. Too many teabaggers got elected.

And probably the same Blue Dogs would vote against cloture in the Senate in the unlikely event it did.

[vaberella]

7. Ugh. n/t

[totodeinhere]

2. Rubio is on record as opposing the Dream Act.

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/rubio-maintains-opposition-dream-act

Get real. Just because someone is Hispanic doesn't necessarily mean that they support the Dream Act, especially if they're a Republican.

[vaberella]

5. I realize that...however I was just hoping.

I know it's too much to ask. I know it's like saying that all Black people would have voted for some form of affirmative action, which is not true. I was just hoping. This is something that directly affects their community. In essence, not just their community but all immigrants....I figured he'd have some sensitivity.

[totodeinhere]

9. I know it sucks. n/t

[Uzybone]

3. sadly there is zero chance until 2012 at best

too many GOP

[dkf]

4. We have more Senate seats up in 2012.

It might be worse.

[vaberella]

6. jesus...we got locked down for two years....

[Petrus Romanus]

8. In 2012 the Republicans take the Senate, even if we win the House.

In 2014, they consolidate their gains. We don't have a shot at re-taking that house until 2016, maybe 2018.

[totodeinhere]

11. It's way too far out to make such speculation. Two many unforeseen things can happen which will have...

an influence on how things turn out.

[bhikkhu]

10. I wish I could say otherwise, but I doubt this has a chance

The "dream act", I mean. Having listened to the debate on both sides, and the way things seem to be heading in this country, its a sad fact that very few people give a crap about the kids who would benefit from it. If you were a baby or a little kid when your parents brought you here, whether legally or otherwise, you're pretty much screwed for the foreseeable future. Even if you were a baby and had no idea that you weren't born here, even if you're a straight arrow, top of the class in high school, on a solid career path in college, you're fucked. The land of opportunity isn't interested anymore.

[shimmergal]

13. It's sad.

These are the very same young people we should be encouraging.

Isn't there some way we can help, by giving them hope while the struggle goes on?

I know it's against the law to employ "illegal aliens", which is what their status is, I guess (although as a science fiction fan I always do a double-take when I hear this term!) But how about some liberal benefactor(s) funding a range of volunteer positions, so these kids can at least build a portfolio of accomplishments in the interim?

[craigmatic]

12. Rubio is a Cuban and they already have their own immigration policy

plus they're majority republican learning so it's a I got mine mentality from their perspective.

[vaberella]

14. Yeah, I know...that wasn't my point though. n/t

[howaboutme]

15. DREAM Act wasn't about equal opportunity

As I understand it, it provided special educational benefits for children of illegal immigrants but not for American citizens. If that is true I do not support it.

[frazzled]

16. You're wrong, it was totally about equal opportunity

It doesn't provide benefits: The bill relates to young people who, through no fault of their own, were brought here illegally before the age of 15 and have been here at least 5 years. It paves a path to residency (so they won't be deported) over a ten-year period IF they meet certain conditions: 2 years service in the military or completion of two years of college. . I'll just quote:

This bill would provide certain illegal and deportable alien students who graduate from US high schools, who are of good moral character, arrived in the U.S. illegally as minors, and have been in the country continuously and illegally for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment, the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency if they complete two years in the military or two years at a four year institution of higher learning. The students would obtain temporary residency for a six year period. Within the six year period, a qualified student must have "acquired a degree from an institution of higher education in the United States or completed at least 2 years, in good standing, in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher degree in the United States," or have "served in the uniformed services for at least 2 years and, if discharged, received an honorable discharge."<2> Military enlistment contracts require an eight year commitment, with active duty commitments typically between four and six years, but as low as two years.<3><4> "Any alien whose permanent resident status is terminated shall return to the immigration status the alien had immediately prior to receiving conditional permanent resident status under this Act.

If you listened to Dick Durbin's speech, citing real individuals this would help, you would feel differently: truly accomplished young people who excelled in their educations and who want to practice in their fields or join the military but can't, because they will be deported.