Several Immigration-Related Amendments Being Offered to Spending Bill

Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 10:30 AM EDT - posted on NumbersUSA

Several immigration-related amendments are being offered to an Emergency Spending bill that is making its way through the Senate floor. Senators Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) have all offered amendments to a spending bill with an underlying goal to help create jobs this summer.

The Disaster Relief and Summer Jobs Act, H.R.4899, would provide funding for the Department of Homeland Security's disaster relief fund, provide funding for youth activities, and adds money to the small business loans account. The immigration-related amendments would help secure the border preventing the possibility of illegal aliens crossing the border and taking any new jobs created by the bill.


Sen. DeMint's amendment would require completion of the border fence, which has been placed on hold by the Obama Administration despite its construction being required by a previous Congress.

Sen. McCain's amendment would require deployment of 6,000 National Guard troops to the border.

Sen. Cornyn's amendment would increase funding for drug enforcement along the Southwest border.

Sen. Kyl's amendment is a secondary amendment to Sen. Cornyn's amendment and calls for an increase in resources within the Department of Justice to expedite immigration-related cases along the border.

Sen. Hutchison's amendment would increase funding for unmanned surveillance along the border and an increase in salaries for the Border Patrol.


It is not known whether any of these amendments will make it to the floor for debate and an official vote. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and his allies like Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) have been working to prevent these amendments from being considered by objecting to them on the Senate floor and omitting them during proposed cloture agreements. NumbersUSA will provide updates as we receive them.

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