Build the Wall? How Congress Might Compromise on Immigration

In May 2006, the Senate passed the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 by a 62-36 margin. I’ve included the roll call for “Yea” votes, with Republican senators denoted in red text. Yes, it’s the same Mitch McConnell and Lindsay Graham who are holding out for a border wall today. 

The bill included provisions to improve border security with fencing, vehicle barriers, surveillance technology and more personnel. It also created a new temporary worker visa category and provided a path to legal status for certain immigrants who were unlawfully in the U.S. [today, called "Dreamers" in the DACA program] (See S. 2611, 109^th Cong. (May 25, 2006). 

President George W. Bush declared that he would sign the bill. 

Speaker Dennis Hastert, pressured by the Tea Party, refused to call the bill for a vote.

Yesterday, a vulnerable Republican senator (for 2020 election), Cory Gardner, suggested that the Senate take up essentially a version of the 2006 bill.

YEAs ---62

Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Craig (R-ID)
Dayton (D-MN)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dodd (D-CT)
Domenici (R-NM)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Wyden (D-OR)

Verify at https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00157.