Thread: Border Fence funds gutted in omnibus bill

Just received this from Numbers USA:


Border Fence funds gutted in omnibus bill. Call your Rep.

The House Omnibus Appropriations amendment to H.R. 2764, the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2008, passed by a vote of 253 to 154 to 1 on December 17, 2007 at 10:20PM.



The Senate completed the Omnibus Appropriations bill on Tuesday, December 18, while passing the House amendment with the 11 appropriation bills by a vote of 76-17.



The bill will allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to build a single-layer fence instead of the two-layer fence as outlined in the 2006 Secure Fence Act. The new provision also allows DHS to decide whether to build an actual fence or use other security devices in any specific border area.




Your representative voted against the omnibus bill, which includes many other spending measures. He/She is not responsible for the gutting of the Secure Fence Act, but please express your outrage that Congressional leaders sneaked this provision into this gigantic bill. Their actions have resulted in failure of this Congress to fund the fence to completion.

Excerpts from the Washington Times (click here for the full article):

Congress last night passed a giant new spending bill that undermines current plans for a U.S.-Mexico border fence, allowing the Homeland Security Department to build a single-tier barrier rather than the two-tier version that has worked in California....

....But the measures did not pass bef ore House Republicans blasted the changes to the border fence....

....The 2006 Secure Fence Act specifically called for "two layers of reinforced fencing" and listed five specific sections of border where it should be installed. The new spending bill removes the two-tier requirement and the list of locations.

House Democrats said they were just adopting the Senate version, which was backed by a bipartisan group of border-state senators and passed the Senate several times this year.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the Texas Republican who has led the charge to change the 2006 law, said she wants to give Homeland Security more flexibility and wants local officials and landowners to be consulted.

"Senator Hutchison believes that Customs and Border Protection can better decide how to utilize limited resources to secure the border than a congressman from Maine," said Matt Mackowiak, Mrs. Hutchison's spokesman. He said double-tier fencing has worked in San Diego, but it might not be the right solution for the entire fence.

But Rep. Peter T. King, who sponsored the Secure Fence Act, said if the goal was to give DHS flexibility, the senators have failed.

"This is either a blatant oversight or a deliberate attempt to disregard the border security of our country," the New York Republican said. "As it's currently written, the omnibus language guts the Secure Fence Act almost entirely. Quite simply, it is unacceptable."

The spending bill must pass the House and Senate this week, and the Senate is expected to take up the House bill today....

....Rep. Duncan Hunter, who crafted the language to build double-tier fencing in California, said the changes would be "a significant step backwards."

"Pulling back from the double-fence mandate is a prescription for failure that will only allow more smugglers, criminals and illegal aliens to enter the United States through our land border with Mexico," said the California Republican, who also is running for his party's presidential nomination.

The new bill would bring the requirements closer in line with what the Department of Homeland Security has sought. DHS officials have said they will finish 370 miles of pedestrian fencing and another 200 miles of vehicle barriers by next year, and have said the Border Patrol should determine the locations.

"We're committed to building this fence," said DHS spokeswoman Laura Keehner, who said it will be a mix of single- and double-tier fencing, vehicle barriers, cameras and other technology.



More details:



Stripped-Favorably





No money for Mexican truckers to operate beyond current commercial zones in the United States





Stripped-Unfortunately







The "no strings attached" $3 billion in funding promised for the Secure Fence Act after it was removed during the conference on the Defense Appropriations bill. Of the $1,225,000,000 appropriated, $650 million is held hostage by the DHS and Committees of Jurisdiction until a plan for the fence is approved. Furthermore, the fence funding would undermine language in the Secure Fence Act by granting more discretion to the Department of Homeland Security about how to spend the money and where to make infrastructure improvements.







The Kingston amendment requiring Federal government contractors to participate in the Basic Pilot (E-Verify) program.







The Tancredo amendment to prevent Federal Homeland Security funds from being distributed to state and local governments who aid and abet illegal immigration with so-called "sanctuary policies."







The Gingrey amendment to prevent the State Department from negotiating new countries from participating in the Visa Waiver program.







The Tancredo/Poe amendment to prevent further funding for the incarceration of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.







The Capito amendment mandating that the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State participate in the Basic Pilot (E-Verify) program.







The Hunter amendment prohibiting funds from being used to facilitate participation in the Security and Prosperity Partnership program or to create an international highway between Mexico and Canada.





Retained< /font>







$575 million for the Secure Fence Act (without strings)







The Gingrey/Culberson language to prevent the Social security Administration from funding the Social Security totalization agreement with Mexico.







The Tancredo amendment to prevent State Department funds if visas are not refused to counties that deny or delay accepting aliens removed from the United States.







Language to prohibit housing assistance and mortgages for illegal aliens







Funding to expand ports of entry and purchase more border patrol vehicles







The Weldon amendment for background checks on illegal aliens







$410 million for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, including a new DHS mandate that the agency contact every prison, jail, and correctional facility in U.S. monthly to identify incarcerated and convicted aliens who are candidates for deportation and to start removal proceedings where ordered







$475 million for the US-VISIT entry-exit identification system.







$50 million in grants to help states comply with the REAL ID Act





Unfortunately included







Iraqi refugee language to “recapture or carry forwardâ€

Duplicate

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-94848-gutted.html