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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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