[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 162 (Thursday, December 9, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S8660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST--S. 3992

  Mr. REID. Madam President, we have a piece of legislation that passed 
last night in the House of Representatives. I received a call last 
night, I guess around 9:30 or 10 o'clock, from both the majority leader 
and the Speaker that the so-called DREAM Act had passed in the House. 
That changes things over here. It changes things because we had been 
toiling on this for a long time, and now that it has passed the House, 
the appropriate way to proceed would be to have a vote on that matter, 
because if we are able to pass it, it goes directly to the President.
  Having said that, I think it would be futile for us to have a vote on 
a motion to invoke cloture on a bill we know will not matter. So what 
we will do is, I am going to ask consent to vitiate the vote that is 
scheduled for 11 o'clock on the DREAM Act, and to alert everyone, we 
have not given up on the DREAM Act. Quite the opposite. It having 
passed the House gives us more energy to move forward on this most 
important piece of legislation.
  The stories that relate to this DREAM Act are compelling to me, of 
these young men and women who want to be able to complete their 
education, want to be able to go into the military and serve their 
country and, in the process, they are not guaranteed citizenship, they 
are guaranteed that they will not be arrested or deported. They will be 
given a green card to prove that they are eligible for citizenship. So 
we are going to proceed and do everything we can to pass what the House 
did.
  Having said that, Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
vote scheduled on the DREAM Act at 11 o'clock be vitiated.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Georgia.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Madam President, on behalf of our leadership, I object.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, it is my understanding Senator Durbin is 
to be recognized at this time for up to 10 minutes.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. That is correct.

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