Thread: Senate Again OKs $3B for Border Security

If this has been posted previously, my apology. Senate vote summary at the bottom:
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October 3, 2007
Senate Again OKs $3B for Border Security
By ANDREW TAYLOR – 2 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a move to save President Bush from an embarrassing veto override, Senate Republicans on Wednesday again won $3 billion to try to gain control over the U.S. border with Mexico.

The funding was added by a 95-1 vote to a bill appropriating $459 billion for the Pentagon. It had already been adopted in July as part of a spending bill financing the Department of Homeland Security, but Bush has promised to veto that bill.

The border security spending, especially money to construct 700 miles of fencing to keep illegal immigrants from Mexico from crossing into the United States, is so popular among Republicans that they would vote to override Bush's homeland security veto if necessary.

Such a loss would be a major embarrassment as Bush battles with Congress over the 12 appropriations bills funding the government for the budget year that began on Monday.

Bush vowed to veto the homeland security bill because it exceeds his budget by more than $2 billion, even without the border spending.

The White House has signaled Bush will accept the border security funding, even though it also bursts his budget. The White House initially resisted using deficit dollars to finance the initiative, GOP lawmakers said, but backed off in the face of overwhelming support for the idea.

GOP leaders now hope rank-and-file Republicans could support a veto of the homeland security bill since the funding is also attached to the defense measure, which Bush supports. House GOP leaders asked Senate Republicans to embrace the unusual move, acknowledged Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, a budget hawk, was the single "nay" vote against adding the border money to the Pentagon bill.

The border security funding had been included in Bush's broader immigration reform bill that collapsed in June. Then it was financed by fines and fees on illegal immigrants.

The money approved Wednesday would go toward seizing "operational control" over the U.S.-Mexico border by using additional Border Patrol agents, vehicle barriers, border fencing and observation towers. It would also be used to pursue immigrants who had entered the United States legally but overstayed their visas.

"This $3 billion will accomplish that and will help fully fund an operationally secure border," said Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H. "That is the first step to effective immigration reform, having a border that we know is secure."

The underlying defense bill awards the Pentagon a 10 percent budget increase of $43 billion. It does not include Bush's almost $190 billion request for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the 2008 budget year.

Democrats touted funding increases for National Guard equipment, military health care and a 3.5 percent pay increase for military personnel, half a percentage point more than requested by Bush.

The measure also mostly grants Bush's almost $100 billion request to purchase new weapons such as V-22 tilt rotor aircraft, unmanned drone aircraft, next generation Joint Strike Fighters and the F-22 Raptor fighter jet, which has been beset by cost overruns.

Democrats have shown little inclination to curb spending on major weapons systems despite criticism that many of them are designed to cope with past enemies rather than those U.S. troops have actually been fighting.

The overall budget for procurement is $17 billion higher than last year and promises to continue to grow. The Pentagon's overall budget, even adjusted for inflation, is more than 20 percent higher than the average Cold War budget and has gone up more than 40 percent since Sept. 11, 2001

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5injF ... AD8S1TETG1

Senate vote summary:

http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_ ... vote=00361

I find it Ironic that Bush touts his terrorist threats when it comes to Iraq, spending for Iraq and keeping our military time upon time longer they should be gone, but at the sametime letting terrorists just walk across the border. I consider M13 a terrorist gang. What does he consider them?

Paige, you asked what Bush considers M13? From the looks of things, with his buddy-buddy relatonship with the Mexican president, I'd say he considers M13 his friends as well. I mean, he might as well be in bed with the Mexicans, for everything he's doing for them. He's bending over backwards to get this North American Union boondoggle passed, without even so much as any public input; everything is done in secret meetings with the heads of Mexico, Canada, and the United States; this is being accomplished through the Security and Proserity Partnership (SPP) meetings that Bush is a member of. He might just as well invite the M13 gang, since it apears that they are pretty much in control of things along the border.

[b]He might just as well invite the M13 gang, since it apears that they are pretty much in control of things along the border.







We don't know that MS13 hasn't been invited. There is "speculation" among the Latino community about what role MS13 actually plays.

The reason I say "speculation" is because while these folks suspect it, may even have evidence to back up their <ahem> speculation, they will not come right out and say anything because they are terrified. Therefore, they hint around. It's rather reminiscent of the days when no one dared mention the mafia out loud for fear of reprisals.

Really though.....would it surprise anyone to find out that MS13 is a lot more than an extraordinarily violent "street gang"?

Really though.....would it surprise anyone to find out that MS13 is a lot more than an extraordinarily violent "street gang"?

Nope, it doesn't surprise me one iota; Washington knows about this gang, and is too chicken to do anything about the border situation. Look, Washington has promised to build this double fencing along 2000 miles of the border, and just recently....in the past two days, I read in our local news rag that 70 miles have been competed; don't know if it was double fencing or not (I really doubt it), but for how long have they been talking about this fencing.....and they've only just completed 70 miles?What a farce!!! Oh, yeah, and Bush has called for the Border Patrol to assist in the construction of that fencing? What lunacy!! Take the Border Patrol away from their assigned duties to assist in construction of the fence! Just great. No, Friend: it doesn't surprise me one bit that MS13 is a lot more than an extraordinary violmet "street gang"; I believe it's part of a bigger plan.

Senate approves funds for troops on the border
Wed Oct 3, 2007 11:03pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Wednesday approved funding to keep up to 6,000 National Guard troops deployed along the U.S. border with Mexico.

The measure, approved on a voice, is an amendment to a nearly $460 billion defense appropriations bill for the fiscal year that began on Monday. The amendment added $794 million to fund the National Guard force at the border.

President George W. Bush ordered 6,000 National Guard troops to the border last May in a move to help the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency cut the flow of illegal immigrants crossing north.

About 3,000 National Guard troops are currently deployed in the border security program, which was slated to end on July 1, 2008. That figure is down from 6,000 in May.

Sen. Jeff Sessions, author of the amendment, said the additional funding would allow the National Guard mission to continue throughout next year.

"The number of illegal aliens attempting to cross the border has decreased by about 25 percent since National Guard troops were deployed. This program is a proven success and it would be unthinkable to back away so soon from this critical part of our border enforcement strategy," Sessions, an Alabama Republican, said in a statement.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed its own version of the bill and the two chambers will have to resolve their differences before adopting a final version.

http://www.reuters.com/article/politics ... 6420071004

Published October 03, 2007 10:08 pm -

Appropriations bill would help border security


Staff Reports


WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., Wednesday voted in favor of an amendment to the Department of Defense appropriations bill that would provide funds to immediately pay for some of the manpower and technology necessary to secure the U.S. border.


The amendment passed by a vote of 95 to 1, information from a recent press release said.

“There's no greater domestic issue in this country than the problems on our southern border with Mexico, and it is time that Congress makes a commitment to make border security a reality,â€

Today was a horrible day. traffic was nightmare in dallas, school was awful and work was long and boring.

but now 17 hours later this news has made my day!

Added to Homepage:
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I just want to know how many times we are going to fund this fence before it is built!!


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