Current Legislation

Senator Schumer has stated that he expects to have a draft comprehensive immigration reform bill ready for introduction in the Senate when Congress reconvenes after the 2009 Labor Day recess. A companion bill in the House is not expected until March 2010.

In the meantime, there are a myriad of immigration bills that have been introduced in the 111th Congress but may serve only as placeholders to be included in the comprehensive reform bill.

Below is a pie chart illustrating the 2007 Senate vote totals for that year’saborted comprehensive immigration reform effort [retained for historical purposes].

See how your Senator voted…

Alphabetical by Senator Name

Akaka (D-HI), Yea Alexander (R-TN), Nay Allard (R-CO), Nay Barrasso (R-WY), Nay Baucus (D-MT), Nay Bayh (D-IN), Nay Bennett (R-UT), Yea Biden (D-DE), Yea Bingaman (D-NM), Nay Bond (R-MO), Nay Boxer (D-CA), Yea Brown (D-OH), Nay Brownback (R-KS), Nay Bunning (R-KY), Nay Burr (R-NC), Nay Byrd (D-WV), Nay Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Cardin (D-MD), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea Casey (D-PA), Yea Chambliss (R-GA), Nay Clinton (D-NY), Yea Coburn (R-OK), Nay Cochran (R-MS), Nay Coleman (R-MN), Nay Collins (R-ME), Nay Conrad (D-ND), Yea Corker (R-TN), Nay Cornyn (R-TX), Nay Craig (R-ID), Yea Crapo (R-ID), Nay DeMint (R-SC), Nay Dodd (D-CT), Yea Dole (R-NC), Nay

Domenici (R-NM), Nay Dorgan (D-ND), Nay Durbin (D-IL), Yea Ensign (R-NV), Nay Enzi (R-WY), Nay Feingold (D-WI), Yea Feinstein (D-CA), Yea Graham (R-SC), Yea Grassley (R-IA), Nay Gregg (R-NH), Yea Hagel (R-NE), Yea Harkin (D-IA), Nay Hatch (R-UT), Nay Hutchison (R-TX), Nay Inhofe (R-OK), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Nay Johnson (D-SD), Not Voting Kennedy (D-MA), Yea Kerry (D-MA), Yea Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea Kohl (D-WI), Yea Kyl (R-AZ), Yea Landrieu (D-LA), Nay Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Yea Levin (D-MI), Yea Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Lott (R-MS), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Yea Martinez (R-FL), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Yea McCaskill (D-MO), Nay

McConnell (R-KY), Nay Menendez (D-NJ), Yea Mikulski (D-MD), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Nay Murray (D-WA), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Nay Obama (D-IL), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Nay Reed (D-RI), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Nay Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay Salazar (D-CO), Yea Sanders (I-VT), Nay Schumer (D-NY), Yea Sessions (R-AL), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Nay Smith (R-OR), Nay Snowe (R-ME), Yea Specter (R-PA), Yea Stabenow (D-MI), Nay Stevens (R-AK), Nay Sununu (R-NH), Nay Tester (D-MT), Nay Thune (R-SD), Nay Vitter (R-LA), Nay Voinovich (R-OH), Nay Warner (R-VA), Nay Webb (D-VA), Nay Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Yea

PriorImmigration Reform, Efforts, Not Enacted

S. 1639 - Unaccompanied Alien Child Protection Act of 2007

This bill was placed on the Senate Calendar on June 19^th, and on June 26^th the Senate voted on cloture to proceed on S. 1639, a bill that is similar to the comprehensive immigration bill considered in May. This bill covers topics on trigger and border security, interior enforcement, electronic employment authorization verification, temporary workers, green card quotas (and sub-quotas), legalization of unauthorized aliens, English, assimilation, naturalization, and unaccompanied children.

Click here for the text on legislation.

H.R. 750 - The Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act of 2007.

The bill covers topic on the facilitation of family-based immigration, increasing the allocation of family-bases immigrant visas, establishment of a board of visa appeals for family-bases visas, elimination of unfair restrictions, legalization for long-term residents, adjustment of status on the basis of earned access to legalization, adjustment of status for certain children, and border security provisions.

Click here for the text on legislation.

H.R. 1645 - STRIVE Act of 2007

This act, also known as the `Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act of 2007,’ covers topics, among other things, on border security, secure entry initiatives, law enforcement relief for states, rapid response measures, safe and secure detention, interior enforcement, passport and visa security, the detention and removal of aliens who illegally entered or remain in the U.S., employment verification, new worker program, visa reforms, preservation of immigration benefits for victims of major disaster or emergency, and the further legalization of undocumented individuals.

Click here for the text of legislation.

H.R. 1930 - SKIL Act of 2007

This act, otherwise known as the ’Securing Knowledge Innovation and Leadership Act of 2006,’ is written to increase the legal immigration of scientific, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workers into the United States by increasing the quotas on the H-1B visa, eliminating green card caps for certain advanced degree holders, and streamlining the processing of employment-based green cards.

Click here for the text of legislation.