Thread: Border security bill held up by procedural glitch

Border security bill held up by procedural glitch

The $600-million bill requires a do-over by the Senate, which is in recess. Funding may be delayed for the deployment of 1,500 Border Patrol personnel and other measures.

By Lisa Mascaro, Tribune Washington Bureau

6:42 PM PDT, August 10, 2010

Reporting from Washington

A $600-million bill to beef up border security should have been on its way to President Obama for signature after the House approved it Tuesday, but instead it has been derailed by a procedural glitch that requires a do-over by the Senate — which has adjourned until September.

The technical misstep embarrassed congressional leaders and put the brakes on quick approval of funding for Obama's plan to deploy another 1,500 Border Patrol and other law enforcement personnel along the border with Mexico.

Democrats had sought quick action on the measure, in part to show voters that the federal government could be responsive to border problems following Arizona's tough new immigration law.

Unanimous approval by the House on Tuesday seemed to be the last step for the bill — until it was discovered that the Senate, which approved the measure last week, had unwittingly violated a constitutional requirement that all spending bills originate in the House.

Senate leaders said they would try to re-approve the bill this week using a special procedure — the same one they used to pass the bill just days ago — that does not require senators to be present for a voice vote. It is uncertain if they have the support to accomplish that.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano had pressed Congress for swift approval of the measure, which would deploy an additional 1,000 Border Patrol agents along the Southwest border, hire 250 new Customs and Border Protection officers and add 250 Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel to target drug smuggling.

The package would also add two unmanned surveillance planes and boost the Justice Department's resources for investigating and prosecuting organized drug gangs.

Costs would be offset by substantially raising the visa fees for companies that hire foreign workers, from $320 to as much as $2,750 each. The fees would be imposed on firms that hire 50 or more foreign workers or have 50% of their staff on foreign visas.

Immigration advocacy groups have denounced the measure as an election-year stunt that would do little to resolve the complex problems of illegal immigration and drugs.

Congress is stalemated over a comprehensive immigration bill that would provide a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million people living in this country illegally.

"Politicians will go home and brag to their constituents about how tough they are, without solving a thing," said Lynn Tramonte, deputy director of America's Voice, an immigration advocacy group.

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The technical misstep embarrassed congressional leaders

They probably knew it all along!

and dingy harry reid, the majority leader, who is a dem, will never call the senate back in for one day, like pelosi just did

Senators put recess on hold for border bill
Stevens tribute also on agenda
By Staff
-
The Washington Times
10:39 p.m., Wednesday, August 11, 2010

For the second time this week, lawmakers will interrupt their August recess to return to Capitol Hill to tend to some unfinished business.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that the chamber will hold a short special session Thursday to pass a bill providing $600 million in emergency funding to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border.

The House earlier this week returned for its own one-day session to pass a $26 billion spending bill providing aid to states struggling to pay teacher salaries and meet higher Medicaid bills. The House also approved a slightly amended version of the border bill, requiring the Senate to return to formally ratify the changed text

The border-security measure is expected to pass the Senate on a voice vote, spokesmen for both the Democratic and Republican leaders of the chamber said.

A notice issued by Mr. Reid's office said the session will also take the opportunity to pass a resolution marking the death of former Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, who was killed in a plane crash Monday in his home state of Alaska.

"This will be an extremely short session, as we will just be doing these two items," Mr. Reid said in a notice to colleagues Wednesday. "Once the session concludes tomorrow, we are out until September 13."

The border-spending bill is uncontroversial. The measure will be passed by "unanimous consent," following an agreement brokered between Mr. Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican. Few senators are expected to make the trip back to Washington to attend.

The session will be conducted by bill sponsor Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York and Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland, both Democrats.

Among other items, the border-security bill calls for some 1,500 new law enforcement agents to patrol the border and $14 million for new communications equipment.

Lawmakers say they will pay for the new border funding by charging higher fees on companies that recruit foreign workers to work in the United States. President Obama is expected to quickly sign the bill once it is passed.

"These assets are critical to bringing additional capabilities to crack down on transnational criminal organizations and reduce the illicit trafficking of people, drugs, currency and weapons," said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

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