WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, today announced she will vote against bringing the immigration bill back to the Senate floor at this time.Or at least she's against it for now...
In the coming days the Senate is expected to vote on Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 1348, the immigration bill. Sen. Hutchison said today she will oppose the cloture motion because the current bill includes amnesty provisions and more time is needed to discuss ways to strengthen the bill through an open amendment process. “I have opposed the current immigration bill because I believe we can provide a workable guest worker program without amnesty, and this bill appears to be going in the opposite direction,” said Sen. Hutchison. “Until major changes are made that reject amnesty and a more open, fair process emerges for debating one of the most crucial issues facing our nation, I cannot support this immigration bill.
(H/T Ed Morrissey for reporting that Senate sources were thinking she would declare against cloture.)