June 13, 2006
A UMNS Report
by Kathy L. Gilbert
and Humberto Casanova

The Senate approved a comprehensive immigration reform bill, S.2611, by 62-36 votes on May 25. The majority of United Methodists in the Senate voted against the bill.

There are six Republican and five Democratic United Methodist senators. The "no" votes were Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Ben Nelson (D-Md.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Debbie Stabenow (R-Mich.).

Those voting "yes" were Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.).

Nineteen Catholics voted yes, four voted no, and one abstained. Presbyterians overwhelmingly voted no, 11-3, with one abstention. Episcopalians voted yes, 8-2. Two Lutherans voted no and one voted yes. Jewish Senators for the most part voted yes, with 9 for and 2 against. Baptist Senators voted 5-2 against the bill. All three Congregationalists voted yes. Two Mormons voted no and three voted yes. United Church of Christ, Orthodox Greek Church, Unitarian Universalist, and Evangelical members voted yes, while members of the Church of Christ, Foursquare Gospel and McLean Bible Church, voted no.

Thirty-two Republicans voted against the bill and 23 voted for it. Two Democrats abstained and four voted no. Thirty-eight Democrats voted yes.

United Methodist News Service
Kathy L. Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn. Casanova is associate editor of El Interprete.