Senate Votes to Send More Money to the Border
The Senate unanimously approved $600 million of additional funding to support border operations on Thursday night just before adjourning for a month-long summer recess. The bill includes funding for 1,000 additional border patrol agents, 500 immigration and customs officials, and unmanned drones, among other things.
"I'm for comprehensive immigration reform. I think that's the way to go. And I'm continuing to work on it," Sen. Charles Schumer, who is leading the way on a Senate mass amnesty bill, said. "But we've always said we should do border security first. This is border security first."
Pres. Obama's budget actually called for reducing the size of the border patrol, but last night's funding bill would supersede the cut. He has also announced in April the sending of 1,200 National Guard troops to the border to provide administrative support to Border Patrol Agents, but the troops have yet to be deployed.
Republicans had a separate border security spending bill that focused on a larger deployment of National Guard troops and tools to help expedite deportation, but Sen. McCain still called Thursday's bill a step in the right direction.
In addition to more boots and technology on the ground, the bill will also provide additional funding for the Justice Department to increase its efforts at combating human and drug smuggling.
For more information, see the Washington Times.