Thread: Senate approves more money for border control

Senate approves more money for border control
Thu Jul 26, 2007 2:12PM EDT
By Donna Smith

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly voted to provide an additional $3 billion in emergency spending to beef up border security after lawmakers failed earlier this month to enact broader immigration reforms.

The Senate voted 89-1 to add the money to a homeland security spending bill for next year currently being debated. Republican sponsors said the money could help lay the groundwork for a broader immigration overhaul that could address the status of an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.

"It will make it easier to go to the next step," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican.

The money would help hire more border security agents and purchase vehicles, cameras and radio towers that mostly would be used to help stem the flow of illegal immigrants over the U.S. border with Mexico.

Some of the money could also be used to help law enforcement officials track down immigrants who failed to abide by deportation orders.

These and other enforcement measures had been part of a broad immigration overhaul backed by President George W. Bush. That bill, which would have legalized millions of unlawful immigrants, faltered in the Senate in the face of stiff opposition from some Republicans who considered it an amnesty that would encourage more illegal immigration.

"One of the things that those of us who supported immigration reform learned was that the depth and breadth of cynicism about the government's commitment to enforcement is an impediment to comprehensive reform," said Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican who helped write the comprehensive bill.

Bush has threatened to veto the $37.6 billion homeland security spending bill for fiscal 2008, which starts on October 1, because it is about $2.5 billion more than he sought. The border security money was added as an emergency item on top of that amount.

Graham and others argued it would help strengthen Republican support for the bill, making it more difficult for Bush to reject.

Besides money for border protection, the bill also funds a range of post-September 11 domestic security programs, including more money for airport and port security as well as grants to states and local governments to prepare for terrorist attacks or natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, which devastated southern states in 2005.

The Senate is expected to vote on the homeland security spending bill soon. A similar, slightly less expensive bill already has passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The two chambers will have to work out their minor differences before sending a bill to Bush.

http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNew ... 4520070726

They STILL THINK securing the border will CONVINCE US TO ALLOW CITIZENSHIP for the 20-30 million illegals!!!!!!!

NOT!!!!!

Given the current state of political affairs in Mexico there is a very good chance that civil war will break out within the near future. We need more then cameras and fences on our border. We need thousands of armed trained enforcement agents above that which we have now and we need to free up their hands to vigorously protect the line.

As it stands , we are throwing money at the problem but not using it to do more then watch as tens of thousands of illegal aliens cross in to our lands every year.

It is no less then handing some one starving a hundred dollar bill and telling them they can only look at food for sale , not buy any . In the mean time the tax money is dulled out to contractors that supply material things that are without worth unless the enforcement agents are in place to back them up.

Bush has threatened to veto the $37.6 billion homeland security spending bill for fiscal 2008, which starts on October 1, because it is about $2.5 billion more than he sought. The border security money was added as an emergency item on top of that amount.

...Bush has been backed into a corner. If the homeland Security funding bill passes that includes this amendment, Bush might a well stick his head in a meat grinder if he vetoes. More Republicans will jump off the Bush dingy and even more of the public will think he's a total jerk. This may get real interesting.

Bush is in the same predicament with the farm bill. Either way he goes at this point it is a kick in the face for him. To the positive side of things , he still has Sutton to give him comfort. That's what good friends are for.