Thread: Senate adds border fence money to defense bill

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Posted on Wed, Aug. 02, 2006



Senate adds border fence money to defense bill

SUZANNE GAMBOA
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Conservative lawmakers who say the American people need a signal that Congress is serious about cracking down on illegal immigration pushed Wednesday for more border security funding in a defense spending bill.

The Senate gave a nod to one of those efforts, agreeing 94-3 to an amendment to the Defense Department appropriations bill providing $1.83 billion for 370 miles of triple-layered fencing and 461 miles of vehicle barriers on the U.S.-Mexican border.

"We're not playing games here. The American people have every right to be dubious and concerned about the commitment of this Congress to follow through. So this is a test," Sen. Pete Sessions, R-Ala., said before winning approval of the fence funding.

The defense bill is far from final. A vote on the larger spending bill is pending and if passed would have to be reconciled with the House bill.

Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Jon Kyl of Arizona want $3.9 billion for border fencing, Border Patrol agents, detention beds, and other border security projects that Congress has authorized but not funded. Sessions wants money for border fencing and border vehicle barriers.

"Sen. Cornyn proposed something radical here, that we actually put our money where our mouth is," Kyl said.

The House and Senate have passed widely different bills aimed at stemming illegal immigration. The House bill emphasizes enforcement. The Senate passed a bill with border security measures as well as provisions providing a chance at citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country and a temporary guest worker program.

The two chambers are at an impasse, despite backing of the Senate bill by President Bush. The delay has been criticized as an election-year ploy.

"We are at a stalemate, it is fair to say, with no apparent way out," Cornyn said.

Cornyn and Kyl asked Bush last month to seek $3.7 billion in emergency spending from Congress, but no request has come.

The Senate last month approved a spending bill providing about $1.9 billion for border security, including paying for National Guard troops, 40 miles of fencing and 140 miles of vehicle barriers on the border, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said last week.

The biggest items in the Cornyn-Kyl proposal are fencing and vehicle barriers, similar to Sessions' measure that was added to the bill.

The Senate immigration bill authorizes construction of 370 miles of fencing and several more miles of vehicle barriers but does not provide funding for them. The House has authorized but not funded 700 miles of fencing.

The Cornyn-Kyl proposal also provides $976 million for capital equipment such as Coast Guard vessels and aircraft; $400 million for a system for employers to verify employees are legal workers; and $173 million for 500 Border Patrol agents. Additionally, he plan includes $151 million for 800 Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents; $45.5 million for detention beds; and $60 million for a system that fingerprints and photographs foreigners arriving at U.S. airports, seaports and land ports.






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Senate votes funds to build border fence

Reuters
Wednesday, August 2, 2006; 5:32 PM



WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved $1.83 billion to construct a triple-layered fence along the southwestern border to keep illegal immigrants out of the country.

In a vote of 94-3, the Senate embraced the amendment to a fiscal 2007 defense spending bill expected to pass this week.

"By passing my amendment today, we are sending a signal that we are serious about stopping the flow of illegal immigrants over the border," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, the Alabama Republican who wrote the amendment.

The Senate vote follows congressional approval recently of President George W. Bush's request for money to fund additional border patrols.

In May, the Senate passed an immigration reform bill that authorized construction of the 370 mile fence and 461 miles of vehicle barriers along the porous border.

Since then, Sessions has been trying to win Senate approval of the money to actually build the fence. A recent attempt to add the money to a fiscal 2007 domestic security bill failed.

He won overwhelming support this time, however, in part by paying for the project with emergency funds carved out by a Senate-passed budget blueprint, according to an aide.

There are an estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States and border security has become a volatile issue that could play a role in November congressional elections.

Congressional conservatives want tighter enforcement of northern and southern borders, while others, including Bush, back legislation that also would put most of the immigrants already here illegally on a path to U.S. citizenship.

Politicians of varying stripes recognize the need to toughen border enforcement, in part due to concerns about terrorists crossing illegally into the United States.

But with few days left in this year's legislative session, doubts are rising that the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives can agree on a compromise immigration reform bill.