Thread: Spending bill gives ok to hire 1,000 border agents

http://www.elpasotimes.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 20351/1001

Friday, April 22, 2005

Spending bill earmarks millions to hire 1,000 border agents

Sergio Bustos
Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- The Border Patrol, overwhelmed and understaffed in protecting the nation's borders, could receive hundreds of millions of dollars to hire more than 1,000 agents this year under legislation approved by the Senate on Thursday.

Where the border agents would be based -- and whether any would come to El Paso -- was not specified by senators.

The money for the new agents was included as part of the $81 billion supplemental spending bill passed by the Senate. The final vote on the larger bill was 99-0. The House OK'd a similar spending bill, but it did not include an increase in the number of border agents.

Now House and Senate negotiators must reconcile differences between the two bills before a final version can be sent to President Bush for his signature.

The subject of hiring more agents has caused a rift between Congress and the Bush administration.

The controversy began in December when Bush signed into law a sweeping intelligence bill that called for hiring 2,000 agents each year during the next five years.

But in his fiscal year 2006 budget request to Congress, Bush urged lawmakers to exercise fiscal restraint by asking for money for just 200 agents in the first year.

That angered Republicans and Democrats.

Among the critics was Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va. He scolded the administration for its decision to cut funding, charging it with ignoring Congress and leaving the nation's borders vulnerable.

"Empty promises do not make our borders more secure," he said. "My amendment will."

Byrd teamed with Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, on an amendment that would add 650 agents to the Border Patrol. The legislation easily passed the Senate, 64-35, on Wednesday.

Under the Byrd-Craig amendment, the Homeland Security Department can spend $390 million this year to hire 650 more Border Patrol agents, 250 new immigration investigators and 168 new immigration enforcement agents and deportation officers.

The amendment also provides money for 2,000 additional detention beds for undocumented immigrants caught by federal immigration authorities.

The Senate didn't stop there.

Thursday, lawmakers approved a separate amendment calling on Department of Homeland Security officials to hire 400 new agents. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., sponsored the amendment.

To pay for the new agents, Ensign's amendment requires that the federal government reduce its $147 million contribution to United Nations international peacekeeping efforts.

"It makes much more sense to bolster America's borders and strengthen America's Border Patrol than to hand over millions of dollars to ineffective international efforts with little or no U.S. oversight," Ensign said.

Sergio Bustos may be reached at sbustos@gns.gannett.com.

A good start.
Maybe they could include a few Marines.