Joo know what time it is?

-By Exiled Writer, political contributor to Chismetime.com

Some of you may have heard about the DREAM Act and how it was defeated in the Senate last Tuesday on September 21, 2010 because of “Pinche Republicanos”. Before you get fired up, the Senate vote last Tuesday was for the National Defense Authorization Act which is a budget that allows the Department of Defense where to spend federal funds. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) pushed not one, or two but three amendments into the National Defense Authorization Act .

One of them was the DREAM Act bill, the other was the very popular bill to repeal the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy (this was the piece that got Lady Gaga politically consumed) and the least popular one was an amendment to allow abortions at military hospitals.

Political experts are now saying that if only DREAM Act was included in the Defense Authorization Act, it would have passed. The DREAM Act stands for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act. What this bill would do is to allow for legal status (Conditional Residency, not US Citizenship) to undocumented children who entered the United States before they were 16 years old, have been in the United States five years before the bill is enacted into law, must have graduated high school (or GED) and be accepted to a college and be a full time student for two years or be in the military for two years with honorable service. Must be of good moral character and no criminal record.

The DREAM Act only applies to a limited population of the undocumented migrant community, mostly children. Who created this bill anyway? It was introduced in 2001 by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) That’s right un Republicano from conservative Utah co-sponsored this bill. And other Republicanos support the bill, like George LeMieux (R-FL), Bob Bennett (R-UT), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Susan Collins (R-ME), Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX), Richard Lugar (R-IN), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) But why would Senators like Hatch, Collins and Hutchinson vote against it in 2010? Well, that would be because of the other amendments that Harry Reid included in the Defense Authorization Bill.

The good news for those who are in favor of DREAM Act, is that it now is being considered as a stand-alone bill. Which means it may be introduced on its own without any other amendments. But it may not be introduced until next year and by then we may have new representatives in Congress many of them who are more concerned in the economy than in DREAM Act. It’s going to be a while before the DREAM becomes a reality.

If it’s from Hollywood, it’s gossip. If it’s from Washington, it’s news.

Sources:
The Daily Utah Chronicle
Dream Act Portal