Senate Republicans seek increase in border security funding
The GOP senators did not commit when asked whether they would vote to override the veto Bush has threatened over excess spending already in the bill.
A group of Senate Republicans on Wednesday proposed fatter funding in fiscal 2008 for border security by the Homeland Security Department, just as the White House threatened to veto the legislation over the spending it already contains.
Republicans Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Jon Kyl of Arizona offered an amendment to add $3 billion to the bill. But just before that, the White House threatened to veto the bill because it would provide the department a total of about $37.6 billion, or $2.3 billion more than President Bush requested.
The GOP senators did not commit when asked by reporters whether they would vote to override a Bush veto. Gregg said he would consider it. The senators said they consider the additional $3 billion to be emergency spending, adding that Bush should have requested it in a supplemental funding request.
"I view this as a national security issue equal to the Iraq question," said Gregg, who chaired the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee during the last Congress. "If you don't have a secure border, you're never going to be able to secure your nation." When asked about the White House's position on the amendment, Gregg said "they oppose it."
The senators said much of their amendment draws from the border enforcement provisions they wanted to add to the Senate's immigration bill, which was pulled from the Senate floor last month. The amendment would fund 300 miles of vehicle barriers and 700 miles of fencing along the border, and require the Border Patrol to hire and train up to 30,000 agents by 2012.
Cities could not bar law enforcers from obtaining information on people's immigration status. Indeed, the measure would give state and local law enforcement the power to detain illegal aliens and turn them over to Homeland Security for deportation.
Leading Senate Democrats called on Republicans to not obstruct efforts to pass the underlying bill and final legislation to implement recommendations of the anti-terrorism commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
"It's like every time you walk into a room, somebody hits you," Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said of his experience managing legislation on the floor this year. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said the spending bill contains practical measures to make the country safer. Reid said he hopes to finish it this week.
Aides said Senate passage of the 9/11 bill is expected next week. The measure moved forward after an agreement to give people immunity from lawsuits when they report suspicious activity around transportation centers. House Republicans declared victory because the language would prevent lawsuits at the federal, state and local levels and be retroactive to Oct. 1, 2006.
But House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee ranking Republican John Mica of Florida sent Bush a letter late Tuesday urging him to veto the 9/11 bill, mainly because it would require all ship cargo to be scanned abroad and would give Homeland Security more control over transportation security grants.