Thursday, June 28, 2007

If a component is tabled — at least 50 votes needed, with 99 senators voting — it’s killed. If a component is not tabled, senators cannot dispense with it without unanimous consent. At the end of the 30 hours of post-cloture debate, senators likely will use up or down votes on any components not tabled.

The senators’ proposals included in Reid’s clay pigeon amendment and the order of consideration are:

Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas Require illegal immigrants to return home after receiving probationary visa and before receiving Z visa, which would put illegal immigrants now in the country on a path to citizenship. Tabled on Wednesday, 53-45.

Jim Webb, D-Va. Limit Z visas to those who have been in the country at least four years and can demonstrate ties to their communities. Tabled on Wednesday, 79-18.

Christopher S. Bond, R-Mo. Prohibit green cards for Z visa holders. Under the bill, Z visa holders would put illegal immigrants now in the country on a path to citizenship. Tabled on Wednesday, 56-41.

Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn. Increase the number of family parent visas. Tabled on Wednesday, 56-41.

Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. Allow additional green cards for parents of U.S. citizens if the 87,000 cap on green cards for spouses and mi- nor children of lawful permanent residents is not met. The increase would be the difference between the cap and the actual number issued. Withdrawn.

Robert Menendez, D-N.J. Increase family points in merit-based immigration system. Tabled on Wednesday, 55-40.

Max Baucus, D-Mont. Strike all references in the legislation to requirements for issuing secure driver’s licenses and identification cards under the REAL ID Act (PL 109-13). Tabling motion failed Wednesday, 45-52.

Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa New Title III (employee verification system). Would still require that all new employees be verified; however, it would only require current employees to be checked if there is evidence to suspect unlawful employment.

Pete V. Domenici, R-N.M. Increase the number of federal judgeships in districts experiencing heavy immigration caseloads.

Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga. Require congressional approval of all Social Security “totalization” agreements, which allow workers to divide their work between more than one country and withhold payment of taxes. Under current law, the agreements take effect if neither the House nor the Senate object within 60 days of submittal by the president.

Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Broadly defined enforcement amendment that includes strict penalties for those who overstay visas, including deportation and a lifetime ban on re-entering the country, with some waivers for those who can prove excep- tional circumstances such as a hospital stay. Also requires that heads of household for all illegal immigrant fami- lies wishing to receive Z visas return to their country of origin first, and within three years of the bill’s enactment.

Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. Increase penalties for employers who repeatedly hire illegal immigrants, banning them from receiving federal

contracts for no less than five years, up from a maximum of two years.

Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. Increase the number of H-1B visas issued each year.

Norm Coleman, R-Minn. Allow officials of federal, state or local government entities to question individuals about their immigration status if the officials have probable cause to believe the individuals lack legal status.

Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va. Require that illegal immigrants pay a supplemental fee of $500, on top of other fees and fines in the legislation, to fund border security and enforcement.

John Thune, R-S.D. Deny probationary benefits to the current illegal population until the bill’s series of border security and enforcement triggers are met.

Bernard Sanders, I-Vt. Employers would have to certify they had conducted no mass layoffs before qualifying to hire foreign workers.

Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. [Codifies] an oath of allegiance for naturalization.

Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio Ban employers from hiring guest workers for a year if they fail to post positions with state employment agencies.

Carl Levin, D-Mich. Provide refugee-related protection for Iraqi religious minorities.

Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. Prohibit states and localities from requiring businesses to build day labor shelters.

Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y. Require tamper-proof biometric Social Security cards.

John Ensign, R-Nev. Bar credit for Social Security for work done as undocumented immigrant.

Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt. Provide refugee-related protection to persecuted scholars.

Lindsey Graham, R-S.C Direct Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report to Congress on the number of temporary workers who ignore order to return home when visas expire, and to reduce the number of temporary workers for the next year by that number. Also would provide for information sharing between DHS and state and local law enforcement, and reimburse those agencies for detaining and transferring illegal immigrants to federal authorities.

Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. Reduce Y guest-worker visa cap by the number of workers overstaying their visas.

Manager’s amendment A broad array of mostly technical and non-contentious changes.