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October 23, 2007
Bush Seeks $500 Million in Anti-Drug Assistance for Mexico "President Bush announced Monday in Washington that he will ask NY State Senate Votes Against Spitzer License Rules "Spurred by overwhelming public opposition to Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s decision Alert: DREAM Act Returns to Senate Floor This Week "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed a motion Staffers are anticipating two important votes: the first will be a cloture vote to bring the bill up on the floor; the second will be a cloture vote to end debate on the bill itself. Please call your Senators immediately and urge them to VOTE NO ON BOTH CLOTURE VOTES! AgJobs May Be Debated Next Week Lawmakers wishing for speedy passage of the farm bill may have just had their hopes dashed. "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, says a |
Congress to approve a $500 million package to help Mexico fight drug cartels, the largest international anti-drug effort by the United States in nearly a decade. The proposal could represent a seismic shift in relations between the two countries, whose law enforcement agencies and policymakers have often bickered over the drug war, as well as other hugely contentious issues such as immigration reform and trade," the Washington Post reports. ".S. and Mexican negotiators reached the agreement in secrecy. Some in Mexico worried that an aid package would infringe upon its sovereignty, and concerns surfaced in the United States about costs and strategy in light of the oft-criticized effort to combat drugs in Colombia."
to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, the State Senate yesterday passed legislation that would overturn the policy. The 39-19 vote, which passed with the support of all the Republican senators present as well as several key Democrats, capped a debate laden with accusations of racism and demagoguery and warnings about terrorism and voter fraud. The vote also followed a raucous protest outside the Capitol, during which some opponents of the plan called for the governor to be recalled or impeached," the New York Times reports. "The clashes over the driver’s license policy overshadowed nearly all other business on Monday, and further dimmed the prospect for passage of major legislation that the governor and the Legislature have been negotiating for months, such as campaign finance reform and a property tax rebate for elderly homeowners. The Senate bill is among a range of legislative and legal maneuvers Republicans are mustering to overturn Mr. Spitzer’s plan, which was issued by the State Department of Motor Vehicles in September. Assembly Republicans said they would try to attach a similar measure to unrelated legislation likely to reach the floor of their chamber during Tuesday’s Assembly session."
to move to debate on a controversial bill that would put some children of illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship. The Nevada Democrat filed Monday night for cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill (S 2205) despite supporters’ failure to move a similar proposal forward last month as an amendment to the defense authorization bill (HR 1585). It was unclear whether the Democrats have a new strategy for the legislation or are trying to make a political point. Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., is the bill’s sponsor," CQ Today reports. 
measure that would overhaul the way migrant farm workers are hired -- commonly known as AgJobs -- will be added to the farm law reauthorization. Farmers, workers and many lawmakers agree that the AgJobs measure (S 340) is a must-pass piece of legislation. However, most agricultural interests have steered clear of asking that it be attached to the farm bill," CQ Today reported. "Opponents of AgJobs say it would give amnesty to illegal migrant farm workers. But supporters say getting seasonal workers to the United States quickly and easily is essential for farmers to harvest their crops every year."