The answer is we don’t know, however we do know what needs to happen before it will come up for a vote.

We have been told directly by Senator Durbin’s staff that in order for the bill to come up for a vote we need to guarantee that it has the votes to pass.

What does this mean for us?  It simply means we need to do everything we can to make sure we have co-sponsors on the bill, the more co-sponsors the more almost guaranteed votes we have.

The bills were introduced in both the house and senate a little bit less than a month ago, so far co-sponsors currently stand at 38 and 20 respectively.  Below is a list of the actual breakdowns:

House (1751)

Rep Pastor, Ed [AZ-4] – 4/27/2009
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] – 3/31/2009
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] – 4/22/2009
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] – 4/21/2009
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] – 4/22/2009
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-14] – 4/21/2009
Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] – 3/26/2009
Rep Farr, Sam [CA-17] – 3/31/2009
Rep Nunes, Devin [CA-21] – 3/26/2009
Rep Capps, Lois [CA-23] – 3/31/2009
Rep Watson, Diane E. [CA-33] – 5/7/2009
Rep Roybal-Allard, Lucille [CA-34] – 3/26/2009
Rep Harman, Jane [CA-36] – 5/7/2009
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [CA-39] – 3/31/2009
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] – 3/31/2009
Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] – 4/21/2009
Rep Polis, Jared [CO-2] – 3/26/2009
Rep Castor, Kathy [FL-11] – 4/30/2009
Rep Meek, Kendrick B. [FL-17] – 4/22/2009
Rep Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [FL-18] – 3/26/2009
Rep Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [FL-20] – 4/21/2009
Rep Diaz-Balart, Lincoln [FL-21] – 3/26/2009
Rep Diaz-Balart, Mario [FL-25] – 3/26/2009
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] – 5/5/2009
Rep Quigley, Mike [IL-5] – 4/30/2009
Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] – 5/7/2009
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] – 4/21/2009
Rep Carson, Andre [IN-7] – 4/22/2009
Rep Cao, Anh “Joseph” [LA-2] – 3/26/2009
Rep Olver, John W. [MA-1] – 5/7/2009
Rep Capuano, Michael E. [MA-8] – 3/31/2009
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] – 3/26/2009
Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1] – 5/7/2009
Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] – 4/21/2009
Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] – 4/21/2009
Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] – 4/21/2009
Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] – 3/31/2009
Rep Ackerman, Gary L. [NY-5] – 3/31/2009
Rep Crowley, Joseph [NY-7] – 5/7/2009
Rep Weiner, Anthony D. [NY-9] – 4/21/2009
Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11] – 5/7/2009
Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] – 4/21/2009
Rep Engel, Eliot L. [NY-17] – 3/31/2009
Rep Wu, David [OR-1] – 4/22/2009
Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] – 4/21/2009
Rep Kennedy, Patrick J. [RI-1] – 5/7/2009
Rep Langevin, James R. [RI-2] – 5/7/2009
Rep Hinojosa, Ruben [TX-15] – 3/31/2009
Rep Gonzalez, Charles A. [TX-20] – 3/31/2009
Rep Reyes, Silvestre [TX-16] – 4/23/2009
Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. [TX-27] – 4/21/2009
Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] – 4/30/2009
Rep Moore, Gwen [WI-4] – 4/30/2009

Senate (729)

Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] – 3/30/2009
Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] – 3/30/2009
Sen Udall, Mark [CO] – 4/29/2009
Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] – 3/30/2009
Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. [CT] – 3/26/2009
Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] – 3/30/2009
Sen Martinez, Mel [FL] – 3/26/2009
Sen Harkin, Tom [IA] – 3/31/2009
Sen Lugar, Richard G. [IN] – 3/26/2009
Sen Kennedy, Edward M. [MA] – 3/26/2009
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] – 3/30/2009
Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] – 4/2/2009
Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] – 3/31/2009
Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] – 3/30/2009
Sen Reid, Harry [NV] – 3/26/2009
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] – 3/30/2009
Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon [RI] – 3/30/2009
Sen Murray, Patty [WA] – 3/30/2009
Sen Cantwell, Maria [WA] – 4/22/2009
Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] – 3/26/2009
Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] – 3/26/2009

So the answer to the original question — ‘when will DREAM come up for a vote?’ — is largely based on what we can do on the ground to change these numbers.  In 2007 the house version of this bill (H.R. 1275) had over 85 co-sponsors and the senate version (S.774) had over 25 co-sponsors.  The 2004 senate version (S.1545) had over 45 co-sponsors.

Go down each of these lists, see which one of your members were once a co-sponsor and make sure that they agan renew their support for it.  If your member is already a co-sponsor then keep on them and demand that they become a champion for the cause.

It is up to us to decide when this bill comes up for a vote.

Just a note: Constant bickering that places a wall between CIR and DREAM also does nothing to advance our cause. The DREAM Act is the strongest portion of CIR, while also having merits for being a standalone bill that lays the foundation for future reforms. We do not debate the merits of the DREAM Act and neither welcome nor condone any discourse that serves to strain relations with allies or attack undocumented student advocacy.