One method supporters of the bill are apparently using to good effect is to promise senators votes on their amendments to get them to vote for cloture. This is working even when it is amendments that have no chance of passing. For instance, Sen. Bond’s office tells me that he is going to vote for cloture on the motion to proceed. He will then offer an amendment that has made the approved list to strip out the path of citizenship in the bill (meaning no green cards). This will inevitably fail. In which case, Bond will vote against cloture the second time and against final passage. This dynamic means opponents of the bill might pick up a vote or two on the second cloture vote, but Bond will still have done his bit to advance the underlying bill through his first cloture vote. He should just vote “no” tomorrow.
