Spending bill shrinks Mexican border fence

[peejay 327]

Spending bill shrinks border fence

By S.A. Miller and Stephen Dinan

The Washington Times

December 18, 2007

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.

The spending bill, written by Democrats and passed 253-154 with mostly their votes, surrenders to President Bush's budget demands, meeting his spending limit with a $515 billion bill to fund most of the federal government and setting up votes to pay for the Iraq war. But Democrats reached his goal in part by slashing his defense and foreign-aid priorities to pay for added domestic spending.

The concessions promise to end a months-long budget standoff before Congress adjourns for the year and takes a Christmas break scheduled to start by Friday. In a rare two-step maneuver, the House first voted 253-154 to approve the bill to fund most of the civilian Cabinet agencies, and then voted 206-201 to add about $30 billion for Afghanistan war-spending to the measure.

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

"The fact that this was buried in a bloated, 3,500-page omnibus speaks volumes about the Democrats' unserious approach on border security and illegal immigration," said House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican. "Gutting the Secure Fence Act will make our borders less secure, but it's consistent with the pattern of behavior we've seen all year from this majority."

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.

An additional $40 billion for the war in Iraq is expected to be added to the bill in the Senate, providing political cover for antiwar Democrats. They could vote against the funds after registering support for the domestic agenda.

House Republicans would then supply enough votes to help pass the final bill with about $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — a down payment on the $196.4 billion war request for 2008.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the spending package, which funds every Cabinet agency except the Defense Department for the budget year that began Oct. 1, restored vital domestic programs cut in Mr. Bush's proposed budget.

"Even as middle-class families are struggling, the president's budget plan gutted energy independence, cut home-heating assistance for seniors, undermined cancer research, robbed promised funding from K-12 education and slashed Pell Grants and college financial aid," the California Democrat said.

"While the president's stubborn opposition will deny Americans the full investment they deserve in these priorities, the Democratic budget begins to reverse seven years of neglect and charts a new direction that invests in energy independence, health care and education for America's future."

The Democrats' emphasis on domestic priorities included adding $1 billion to expand health care access, $607 million for medical research, $767 million for education programs such as Head Start, $486 million for investments in renewable energy and $1.8 billion in Homeland Security grants.

They cut White House priorities, including increased funding for abstinence education, expansion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and some weapons-program requests.

Republicans and watchdog groups criticized Democrats for rushing to pass a 3,500-page bill that conceals abrupt policy shifts and more than 9,000 earmarks for lawmakers' pet projects.

And the border fence was a major objection for Republicans.

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.

LAST-MINUTE RUSH

The following are among the components of the $515 billion House omnibus spending bill.

•$473.5 billion funding for all Cabinet agencies except Defense

Emergency spending:

•$31 billion emergency funding for the war in Afghanistan

•$3.7 billion emergency funding for veterans health care benefits

•$7.5 billion emergency funding for border security, firefighters, drought relief and other programs

Restores proposed administration cuts:

•$1.8 billion for Homeland Security grants

•$1.7 billion for college financial aid, including Pell Grants

•$1 billion for health care access, including community health centers and high-risk insurance pools

•$767 million for K-12 education, including special education, after-school programs and Head Start.

•$607 million for medical research on Alzheimer's, cancer, Parkinson's and diabetes.

•$486 million renewable energy programs

Cuts to White House funding requests:

•$214 million for weapons programs

•$145 million for expanding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve

•$145 million for Millennium Challenge Corporation aid to countries with democratic and economic gains

•$77 million for Homeland Security's domestic nuclear-detection office

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.d.../209889236/1001

[Ban Hammer 14,291]

not surprising.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Good. A fence on our border would simply mean the fascists win.

[Ban Hammer 14,291]

Good. A fence on our border would simply mean the fascists win.

and help keep them out

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Good. A fence on our border would simply mean the fascists win.

and help keep them out

Actually, the fascists are here. They're the one's who want the fence

[Ban Hammer 14,291]

Good. A fence on our border would simply mean the fascists win.

and help keep them out

Actually, the fascists are here. They're the one's who want the fence

do you really want to go down that road?

[almaty 19]

hell yes he does....

[HAL 9000 96]

Not a matter of fascists... even though that road inevitably leads to right wing maniacs, some in power... BUT... rather on money NOT well spent on defending the homeland.

[Ban Hammer 14,291]

hell yes he does....

so anyone who wants a fence is a fascist?

[Peikko 1,575]

It's a fiscal issue. Actually, it's a neat trick, the Republicans introduce a bill that is too expensive to ever implement, then get a let out clause when the Dems come along and are seen to be the ones to throw it out. Very, very clever.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

hell yes he does....

so anyone who wants a fence is a fascist?

No, but the fascists want the fence. I could draw you a Venn Diagram to illustrate, if you'd like

[SteveLaura 0]

hell yes he does....

so anyone who wants a fence is a fascist?

No, but the fascists want the fence. I could draw you a Venn Diagram to illustrate, if you'd like

I'd like to see it. I'm always partial to a Venn diagram. I'm odd like that.

[Ban Hammer 14,291]

hell yes he does....

so anyone who wants a fence is a fascist?

No, but the fascists want the fence. I could draw you a Venn Diagram to illustrate, if you'd like

draw all the diagrams you want. i still fail to see how anyone wanting a fence becomes a fascist. perhaps you can explain that with your logic.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

hell yes he does....

so anyone who wants a fence is a fascist?

No, but the fascists want the fence. I could draw you a Venn Diagram to illustrate, if you'd like

I'd like to see it. I'm always partial to a Venn diagram. I'm odd like that.

Geek.

hell yes he does....

so anyone who wants a fence is a fascist?

No, but the fascists want the fence. I could draw you a Venn Diagram to illustrate, if you'd like

draw all the diagrams you want. i still fail to see how anyone wanting a fence becomes a fascist. perhaps you can explain that with your logic.

All fascists want the fence.

Is that statement the equivalent of "anyone wanting a fence is a fascist"?

[SteveLaura 0]

hell yes he does....

so anyone who wants a fence is a fascist?

No, but the fascists want the fence. I could draw you a Venn Diagram to illustrate, if you'd like

I'd like to see it. I'm always partial to a Venn diagram. I'm odd like that.

Geek.

Hey, everyone should have a hobby.