DREAM Act Vote Postponed In Senate

Submitted by Kristian Ramos on 12/9/10

A cloture vote on the motion to proceed to a stand alone vote on the DREAM Act has been tabled in the Senate with a vote of 59-40.

This was done in order to bring up the legislation later on, most likely next week for a vote on a motion to proceed, not because the legislation will not receive a stand alone vote in the Senate.

The Senate vote on DREAM was tabled because under arcane Congressional procedure, if the Senate voted on anything other than the version passed in the House last night, they would have to have another set of votes later.

Senate Majority Leader Reid's comments from an unofficial floor transcript are below (they are incredibly wonky and are explained below):

MR. REID: AS I SAID THIS MORNING WHEN THE SENATE CAME INTO SESSION, THE HOUSE PASSED LATE LAST NIGHT THE "DREAM" ACT. I'VE ASKED CONSENT FROM MY COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE TO VITIATE THE CLOTURE VOTE. AND THAT WAS NOT GRANT THE THIS MORNING. WHICH I THINK IS FORTUNATE BECAUSE IT IS A WASTE OF THE SENATE'S TIME BECAUSE WE NEED TO ACT ON A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT IS ALREADY -- THAT HAS ALREADY PASSED SO WHEN WE SEND IT BACK TO THE HOUSE -- I'M SORRY, WHEN WE PASS IT, IT WOULD GO DIRECTLY TO THE PRESIDENT. WE'VE BEEN TOLD BY MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES THAT THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO DO ANY LEGISLATIVE BIRKS WHICH I THINK IS UNTOWARD AND UNNECESSARY AND UNFAIR BUT THAT'S WHERE THEY ARE. SO THAT BEING THE CASE, MR. PRESIDENT, I WOULD AGAIN RENEW MY REQUEST THAT WE VITIATE THE VOTE ON CLOTURE THAT IS PENDING -- THAT IS PENDING BEFORE THE SENATE AT THIS STAGE.

THE PRESIDING OFFICER: OBJECTION HAS BEEN HEARD.

MR. REID: I MOVE TO TABLE THE MOTION TO PROCEED TO S. 3992 AND ASK FOR THE YEAS AND NAYS.

First and foremost... Senator Reid tabled this vote, because there is no Republican support for anything other then extending tax cuts.

However from a purely process stand point what all of this means (unfortunately my explanation is also absurdly wonky) is:

Last night the House passed a different version of the DREAM act than the one introduced in the Senate a week ago.

Under congressional procedure, if there was a vote today on the Senate version, and not the one passed by the House last night, and the Senate version passed, then the two versions of the legislation would have to be reconciled in conference.

Which would possibly require another vote later on, possibly in the next Congressional year. Which given the fact that the House will be flipping next year, would not bode well for a second passage.

So... the Senate will wait, to take up the House version of the legislation, at a later date most likely next week.

The most important take away from all of this is that the DREAM Act will get a vote in the Senate, and is not dead as some news outlets are reporting.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's spokesmen told Fox News: