Senate Blocks DREAM Act, "Disappointing" Says Obama

Senate Blocks DREAM Act, "Disappointing" Says Obama

Undocumented college student Jorge Herrera, 18, center, of Carson, Calif., rallies with students and Dream Act supporters in Los Angeles, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

After numerous protests, debates and delays, the DREAM Act failed to break a filibuster in the Senate with a 55-41 vote. The act-which would provide a path to citizenship for immigrants who came to the country before they were 16, are under the age of 30, earned a high school diploma or a GED and enrolled in college or the military-failed to earn the 60 Senate votes required for cloture. On the floor before the vote, Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) said, "This bill is a law that at its fundamental core is a reward for illegal activity." Because 10-year-olds who move to the country with their parents with dreams of going to college are clearly the enemy.

The votes were mainly along party lines, with a few Democrats voting against the act. Supporters said that the act would boost military recruitment, college enrollment and the economy, and many seem heartbroken. Julieta Garibay, who moved to America when she was 12, as a master's degree in nursing and yet is undocumented, said, "You work so hard for your degree, and then you just need to put it on hold. It's no longer a matter of politics. These are lives, and this is my future. We're going to remember who voted against us and we're going to hold them accountable. It's been enough talk, it's been enough promises and compromises."

Though it's unlikely that many DREAM Act supporters would find themselves supporting the GOP, the failure of Senate Democrats to band together for the 60 required votes is an extra blow to many who believed the party was on their side. President Obama called the vote "incredibly disappointing," and said in a statement, "Our nation is enriched by their talents and would benefit from the success of their [immigrants] efforts...There was simply no reason not to pass this important legislation."