Senate Democrats Outline Sweeping Agenda With First Set of Bills
By Bart Jansen
The Congressional Quarterly (Washington, DC), January 7, 2009
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Senate Democrats outlined their priorities for the 111th Congress in their first bills, highlighted by the economic stimulus package, a health care overhaul and climate change legislation.
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Also on the Democratic list is an immigration proposal (S 9) intended to 'strengthen the United States economy, provide for more effective border and employment enforcement, and for other purposes.' Left unsaid is whether those 'other purposes' include a path to legal status and eventual citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. That issue sank 2006 efforts to enact a comprehensive immigration overhaul.
Other low-number bills reflecting the priorities of the majority would address education, national security and home foreclosures.
'An election took place. It called for change,' Reid said. 'We are in a very, very deep rut.'
