WASHINGTON — In a rare moment of bipartisanship Tuesday, the House approved $600 million to pay for more unmanned surveillance drones and about 1,500 more agents along the troubled Mexican border.
Getting tougher on border security is one of the few issues that both parties agree on in this highly charged election season. But lawmakers remain deeply divided over a more comprehensive approach to the illegal immigration problem, and it's unclear if Congress will go beyond border-tightening efforts.
The House passed the bill by an unrecorded voice vote after brief debate. The Senate passed an identical bill last week by unanimous consent. But senators must act again, for technical reasons, before sending the bill to President Barack Obama for his signature.
Some House members urged the Senate to act quickly, without waiting for Congress's summer recess to end in mid-September. It was unclear Tuesday whether that would happen.
The bill would offset its costs by raising fees on foreign-based personnel companies that use U.S. visa programs to bring skilled workers to the United States. These include the popular H-1B visa program. India says higher fees would discriminate against its companies and workers.
The bill includes $176 million for 1,000 new border patrol agents to form a strike force to be deployed at critical areas, $89 million for another 500 customs and immigration personnel, and $32 million to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles or drones.
It also provides $196 million for the Justice Department to bolster its forces of U.S. marshals, and FBI, DEA and ATF agents along the border.
Congress and the White House felt a greater urgency to act on border security after Arizona passed a law directing its law enforcement officers to be more aggressive in seeking out illegal immigrants. A federal judge struck down the law's main provisions, but many voters throughout the country favor crackdowns on illegal immigration.
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., asked the Senate to move quickly. She said it's time for the federal government "to stop letting us down and start getting the job done" on tighter border security.
Slow One posted at 10:22 am on Tue, Aug 10, 2010.
It amazes me what can get done when both sides work for the betterment of all of us. Keep doing it, help the small businessman on main street get the country hiring again. Jobs, jobs, jobs. Make it in the USA.
AZ_Resident posted at 10:51 am on Tue, Aug 10, 2010.
I'm sure this is nothing more than a political ploy to make it look as though the White House is responding to the call. They're willing to spend millions more while it can all be circumvented pretty easily. Why not create jobs in the private sector by adding more I.C.E personnel, more jobs for Border Patrol, more jobs for personnel required to handle and process the illegals that are here and deport them. Then we'll all have more jobs...
Slabside posted at 11:32 am on Tue, Aug 10, 2010.
Yes, they have been approved. I'm quite certain the charlatan in the WH will find a way to delay the deployment just like the 600 troops we were supposed to receive.
samkat posted at 1:48 pm on Tue, Aug 10, 2010.
Does anyone want to take bets that Jeff Flake voted No? Even though Jeff Smith is also a conservative, I will take him over Flake as just about anybody will be a welcome change.
CSalafia posted at 2:55 pm on Tue, Aug 10, 2010.
"I'm sure this is nothing more than a political ploy to make it look as though the White House is responding to the call."
AZ_Resident typifies today's conservative. Obama could walk on water and they'd respond with "What? Is he too good to swim?"
Slabside posted at 4:12 pm on Tue, Aug 10, 2010.
CSalafia says, "AZ_Resident typifies today's conservative. Obama could walk on water and they'd respond with "What? Is he too good to swim?". Csalafia, do you have a valid arguement for this story? I thought not, just anther liberal tool with his nose up Obammy's tushkus.
Slabside posted at 4:17 pm on Tue, Aug 10, 2010.
BTW, if Obama could walk on water, Harbor Freight, Lowes and Home Depot would be selling every table vise, heavy chain and anvil they had in stock.
ArizonaRising posted at 5:00 pm on Tue, Aug 10, 2010.
The supporters of illegals ought to direct their anger where it belongs - at the US federal government and its multi-national corporate friends who are actively working to destroy Mexico and to force the migration of 'undesireables' north where the migrants can, then, be used as political pawns. Support law and order in the world and expose the real criminals whom you've taken as friends.
The U.S. Ploy to Promote Genetically Engineered Seeds and Pesticides to Poor Mexican Farmers Is Impoverishing Their Communities
The author takes a trip to Mexico to see the 'green revolution' firsthand -- and what she finds is shocking.
http://www.alternet.org/story/147764/the_u.s._ploy_to_promote_genetically_engineered_seeds_and_pesticides_to_poor_mexican_farmers_is_impoverishing_their_communities/?page=entire
Masterrogue666 posted at 6:18 am on Wed, Aug 11, 2010.
"These include the popular H-1B visa program. India says higher fees would discriminate against its companies and workers." -- Big business takes the jobs from American workers and send them there. Funny, I didn't read of any complaint from India when that happened....
AmosENeuman posted at 7:53 am on Wed, Aug 11, 2010.
YESSS!!!!!!!!
Still not enough, but evidently some of the brighter bulbs on the tree are starting to get a clue