"Dreamers" Fiasco — Not a Priority to Senators

Looking at the voting on the roll calls in the Senate last Thursday, I must conclude that for the vast majority of Republican Senators, building the "Wall" is more important that letting the "Dreamers" stay in the U.S., while for the vast majority of Democrats, stopping the "Wall" is a higher priority that protecting the "Dreamers."

On the first roll call, all 48 Democrats and "Independents," except Manchin, voted in favor along with four Republicans, Senators Flake, Gardner, Graham, and Murkowski. The remaining Republicans — except John McCain, who was absent due to illness and took no part in any of the voting — all voted against the bill.

On the next roll call, all 40 Republicans present voted in favor and were joined by Democrats Donnelly, Manchin, McCaskill, and Stabenow. The two "Independents" and the remaining 43 Democrats voted against it.

On the third roll call, eight Republicans — Alexander, Collins, Flake, Gardner, Graham, Isakson, Murkowski, and Rounds — joined 44 Democrats and both "Independents" in favor.  Three Democrats joined the remaining 42 Republicans in opposition.


The point I'd make is that if the "Dreamers" aren't taken care of now, they'll be gone as a group forever, while the "Wall" and questions of family reunification and visa lottery can be revisited another time. Yet there are only four Democrats and four Republicans who considered them the top priority. Republicans Alexander, Collins, Isakson, and Rounds were ambiguous, but it could be argued that by supporting the "Dreamers" after their preferred version in the second roll call failed, they made them the top priority. As for the other 45 Democrats and "Independents," and the other 42 voting Republicans — the "Dreamers" just weren't that  important to them. So let's have no criticism of the President or other party from those 87 insufficiently caring Senators.


Among those whose message to the "Dreamers" is, "Drop dead," are my state's two Democrats, Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey.