Thread: Kyl seeks emergency funds to bolster border security

Kyl seeks emergency funds to bolster border security

Mike Madden
Republic Washington Bureau
Jul. 25, 2006 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON - Key Republican lawmakers want Congress to prove it's serious about border security by doing one of the things Washington does best: spending money.

In an effort to break an impasse over immigration reform, Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, wrote President Bush on Monday, asking him to request nearly $3.7 billion in emergency spending on Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, detention space and new border fencing.

Their theory is that if the White House and Congress come up with more money for immediate border security measures, voters and conservative House Republicans might look more favorably on negotiations between the House and Senate. That could lead to long-term reforms that let millions of undocumented immigrants get legal status.
"The logjam between the House and Senate is not going to be broken until the constituents that we represent are convinced that we mean business, that the government really does intend that its new law is going to be enforced," Kyl said. He voted against the Senate's version of immigration reform but wants Congress to pass a bill this year that goes beyond the enforcement-only approach the House has passed.

Kyl and Cornyn have been trying to broker a deal between supporters of the Senate's bill and more conservative border security hardliners in both chambers. Most of their proposals are security improvements Congress has approved in the past, which never took effect because lawmakers didn't pay for them. The money would add to the national debt, unless lawmakers found ways to balance the cost by cutting from other programs.

It would come on top of $1.9 billion Congress approved in May to pay for the deployment of National Guard troops to the border. And it would add to billions for border security and immigration enforcement included in proposed legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security next year.

Bush might request the extra money if it would lead to negotiations between the House and Senate over how to pass immigration reform this year, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.


http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... d0725.html

Bush might request the extra money if it would lead to negotiations between the House and Senate over how to pass immigration reform this year, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

Just admitted it. He is holding the border hostage until he gets what he wants!!!!!!

Their theory is that if the White House and Congress come up with more money for immediate border security measures, voters and conservative House Republicans might look more favorably on negotiations between the House and Senate. That could lead to long-term reforms that let millions of undocumented immigrants get legal status.

Voters would definitely look more favorably if Washington would actually do something, but we still will not let the millions of ILLEGAL ALIENS get legal status.

"The logjam between the House and Senate is not going to be broken until the constituents that we represent are convinced that we mean business, that the government really does intend that its new law is going to be enforced,"

Hey maybe they are not dumb as a post like I thought. Looks like they finally might be catching on.