Helping DREAMers

From NILC:


Calls needed to the House THIS WEEK to push for DREAM! 

The House of Representatives may decide to vote on the DREAM Act after members return from Thanksgiving recess. It is important that we all call members of the House this week to demand that the DREAM Act be voted on this year!


What you can do


Please see this target list (PDF) and make calls to your representative this week. When you call, ask to speak to the immigration staffer. Then say that you would like your representative to cosponsor the DREAM Act.
If your representative is already a cosponsor, ask him or her to vote for the DREAM Act when it comes up for a vote.

(You can see whether your representative is a DREAM Act cosponsor by doing this: Go tohttp://rs9.loc.gov/home/LegislativeData.php. Under “Enter Search,” use the pull-down menu to select “Bill Number.” Then, in the box to the right, type “H.R.1751” and click on “SEARCH.” Then, after the next page loads, click on “Cosponsors.”)


After you have made your call, please let us know what you are hearing by filling outthis form (PDF) and emailing (or faxing) the completed form to Mai Huynh athuynh@nilc.org (or fax 202-216-0266).


Background


On Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that he would include the DREAM Act as a potential amendment to the 2011 defense authorization bill (S. 3454), which was considered by the U.S. Senate on Sept. 21, 2010. To proceed on consideration of the Senate bill, 60 votes in favor of doing so were required. Sadly, the 60 votes were not obtained, so the DREAM Act itself never got to a vote.


All the Republicans voted not to take up the bill, except for Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who did not vote at all. Two Democrats, Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln (both of Arkansas), voted with the Republicans.

Although getting 60 votes on the defense bill would have allowed the DREAM Act to move forward to a vote, the fact that we were unable to get the 60 votes needed doesn’t reflect a lack of support for DREAM in the Senate.


The defense bill had a number of other issues that were considered controversial, including “don’t ask, don’t tell,” an abortion provision, as well as a voucher provision. Conversely, support for a procedural vote allowing debate to move forward should not necessarily be considered support for the DREAM Act.


Undaunted by the votes, Majority Leader Reid announced in early November 2010 on Univision, the Spanish-language television network, that he will bring up the DREAM Act for vote during the upcoming lame duck session of Congress. Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated her firm support for DREAM and is joining forces with Reid to push for a vote on the DREAM Act in the lame duck season.


C O N T A C T NILC




Please send us reports from your state, school or district. We will circulate any information we receive from advocates on meetings, events targeting elected officials, as well as press clippings, so please forward items to NILC’s Adey Fisseha (fisseha@nilc.org).


Would you like to know what’s going on in the DREAM world? Would you like to receive that information in a reliable and convenient manner? Then the DREAM email list is for you! Please use this form to subscribe to NILC’s DREAM updates.