Thread: Parties play politics with border funds

Parties play politics with border funds
Mike Madden
Republic Washington Bureau
Nov. 8, 2007 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON - Billions of dollars for border security and immigration enforcement are caught in a political cross fire over the federal budget.

As lawmakers work on legislation to fund the government next year, the Senate has twice approved spending $3 billion to build fencing and observation towers, buy surveillance drones, hire more Border Patrol agents and increase available space for detaining unauthorized immigrants.

The money was added to both a spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which is in charge of the border, and a spending bill for the Pentagon.

But President Bush has threatened to veto the Homeland Security bill because of its overall price tag. So last month, Republicans pushed the money into the Pentagon spending legislation, which has a better chance of passage because of the Iraqi and Afghan wars.

Democrats, however, cut the money from the Pentagon bill in closed negotiations between the House and Senate that wrapped up Wednesday.

The result is that Bush could be left choosing between blocking billions of dollars for the border or accepting billions of dollars of extra spending on Homeland Security programs, options the White House and its GOP allies on Capitol Hill are keen to avoid.

"The Democrats are playing chicken with President Bush on the matter of national security, and that's wrong," Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said at a news conference Wednesday with eight other Republicans.

But Democrats said the money was always going to be dropped from one of the bills because leaving it in both would be redundant.

"The money properly belongs in the Homeland Security appropriations bill," said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. "This is much ado about nothing."

Both parties are jockeying for political advantages before next year's elections, and neither side wants to look lax on border security in the face of voter discontent over illegal immigration.

Each time the Senate approved the border funding, it passed overwhelmingly: 85-1 in July when it was added to the Homeland Security bill and 95-1 last month when it was added to the Pentagon bill.

So the money is likely to be approved eventually. But how it's approved could pose problems.

"Obviously, the Democrats, who control the agenda, don't want to give the issue away to the Republicans," said Steve Camorata, who monitors immigration policy for the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington group that advocates reduced immigration.

Democratic aides for the Senate Appropriations Committee could not be reached for comment.

Fights between Democrats and the White House loom over several other spending bills, as well, including money for veterans affairs, health care and education.

"He threatened to veto all 12 appropriations bills before they were even written," Reid said.

"Given his fiscal record, everyone should understand the president's latest stand is driven by partisan politics rather than a desire to pursue proper fiscal policy."

Republicans, meanwhile, would rather leave the money in the Pentagon spending bill.

"It's the best shot, it's the earliest shot, it's the certain shot," Kyl said. "Why not take it?"
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Added to Homepage:
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Fact is, neither so called party wants anything done about the border.

Yes, I think it is politics - but they are acting in tandem to make sure nothing gets done, while appearing to be trying to do something.

Call your reps on this. Enough with the games -- SECURE the BORDER!