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The Senate has returned the war bill to the House Their reasons were cogent, or so I believe. The bill, known as the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2010consisted of the following items:
* $34.7 billion to support US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq in addition to providing non-military assistance and building up State Department Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
* $24 billion to help keep teachers, police, and firefighters employed during the recession
* $13 billion to Vietnam War veterans that have been exposed to Agent Orange
* $2.8 billion for Haiti relief
* $5.7 billion for PELL grants
* $677 million to strengthen the border
* $275 million for the Gulf oil spill
* $725 million to offset other needs.
The items in italics were items not passed. They are not of concern in this post. [Let's never mind that the name of the bill was the "Disaster Relief and Summer Jobs Act of 2010" until it was changed at the demand of the Senate.] What is rather interesting is the item in bold and italics. Despite border security being a concern and supposed priority of our Congressional representatives, that initiative was struck down by the Senate. What was the funding composed of? Let's look:
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION SALARIES AND EXPENSES
For an additional amount for ‘‘Salaries and Expenses’’, $356,900,000, to remain available until September 30, 2012, of which $78,000,000 shall be for costs to maintain U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer staffing on the Southwest Border of the United States, $58,000,000 shall be for hiring additional U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers for deployment at ports of entry on the Southwest Border of the United States, $208,400,000 shall be for hiring additional Border Patrol agents for deployment to the Southwest Border of the United States, $2,500,000 shall be for forward operating bases on the Southwest Border of the United States, and $10,000,000 shall be to support integrity and background investigation programs.
BORDER SECURITY FENCING, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND TECHNOLOGY
For an additional amount for ‘‘Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology,’’ $14,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2011, for costs of designing, building, and deploying tactical communications for support of enforcement activities on the Southwest Border of the United States.
And now for my analysis:
Fact: Various states such as Arizona complain that the US Border Patrol isn't doing enough to stem illegal immigration.
Fact: The US Border Patrol is immensely underfunded and undermanned by 2/3rds of its recommended operational capacity. The US Border Patrol states that in order to be able to properly do its job, it needs more funding and especially to hire more people.
Fact: In the House Budget Committee, when the US Border Patrol amendment to the original bill came up, the Republicans on the committee voted en masse against its addition.
Fact: When the bill reached the Senate, all Republicans voted against the US Border Patrol Amendment, including Arizona Senators McCain and Kyl.
Observation: I can understand the Republicans voting against recession help and Pell grants and whatnot. That's in their party platform. But why would they approve funding to Haiti, but not to secure their own borders? Keep in mind that it wasn't a vote on whether the WHOLE bill should pass as is, but on what amendments would be allowed to stay. Why would Republicans, especially those of Arizona who harp constantly on the illegal immigration problem, not consider funding to prevent such, especially when THEY THEMSELVES admit that the US Border Patrol is underfunded and undermanned?
Conclusion: The only logical explanation is that said Republicans do not care about funding the US Border Patrol, that it is not a priority, that said Republicans (especially those of AZ) are only providing lip service to the mantra of "border security. Let's see them practice what they preach. If they want the border defended, why are they not willing to see it done properly?
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And on the side, it seems that telling the world your state is overrun with people bringing drugs across the border and law enforcement keeps finding decapitate bodies in the desert causes people not to want to vacation in your state. Also, businesses are beginning to be dismayed by losing their immigration workers at those cheap wages. They should be less dismayed; now they can hire legal residents at triple the pay with all those awesome benefits and taxes they have to pay out! Too bad about their profits...
* $34.7 billion to support US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq in addition to providing non-military assistance and building up State Department Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
* $24 billion to help keep teachers, police, and firefighters employed during the recession
* $13 billion to Vietnam War veterans that have been exposed to Agent Orange
* $2.8 billion for Haiti relief
* $5.7 billion for PELL grants
* $677 million to strengthen the border
* $275 million for the Gulf oil spill
* $725 million to offset other needs.
The items in italics were items not passed. They are not of concern in this post. [Let's never mind that the name of the bill was the "Disaster Relief and Summer Jobs Act of 2010" until it was changed at the demand of the Senate.] What is rather interesting is the item in bold and italics. Despite border security being a concern and supposed priority of our Congressional representatives, that initiative was struck down by the Senate. What was the funding composed of? Let's look:
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION SALARIES AND EXPENSES
For an additional amount for ‘‘Salaries and Expenses’’, $356,900,000, to remain available until September 30, 2012, of which $78,000,000 shall be for costs to maintain U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer staffing on the Southwest Border of the United States, $58,000,000 shall be for hiring additional U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers for deployment at ports of entry on the Southwest Border of the United States, $208,400,000 shall be for hiring additional Border Patrol agents for deployment to the Southwest Border of the United States, $2,500,000 shall be for forward operating bases on the Southwest Border of the United States, and $10,000,000 shall be to support integrity and background investigation programs.
BORDER SECURITY FENCING, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND TECHNOLOGY
For an additional amount for ‘‘Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology,’’ $14,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2011, for costs of designing, building, and deploying tactical communications for support of enforcement activities on the Southwest Border of the United States.
And now for my analysis:
Fact: Various states such as Arizona complain that the US Border Patrol isn't doing enough to stem illegal immigration.
Fact: The US Border Patrol is immensely underfunded and undermanned by 2/3rds of its recommended operational capacity. The US Border Patrol states that in order to be able to properly do its job, it needs more funding and especially to hire more people.
Fact: In the House Budget Committee, when the US Border Patrol amendment to the original bill came up, the Republicans on the committee voted en masse against its addition.
Fact: When the bill reached the Senate, all Republicans voted against the US Border Patrol Amendment, including Arizona Senators McCain and Kyl.
Observation: I can understand the Republicans voting against recession help and Pell grants and whatnot. That's in their party platform. But why would they approve funding to Haiti, but not to secure their own borders? Keep in mind that it wasn't a vote on whether the WHOLE bill should pass as is, but on what amendments would be allowed to stay. Why would Republicans, especially those of Arizona who harp constantly on the illegal immigration problem, not consider funding to prevent such, especially when THEY THEMSELVES admit that the US Border Patrol is underfunded and undermanned?
Conclusion: The only logical explanation is that said Republicans do not care about funding the US Border Patrol, that it is not a priority, that said Republicans (especially those of AZ) are only providing lip service to the mantra of "border security. Let's see them practice what they preach. If they want the border defended, why are they not willing to see it done properly?
===
And on the side, it seems that telling the world your state is overrun with people bringing drugs across the border and law enforcement keeps finding decapitate bodies in the desert causes people not to want to vacation in your state. Also, businesses are beginning to be dismayed by losing their immigration workers at those cheap wages. They should be less dismayed; now they can hire legal residents at triple the pay with all those awesome benefits and taxes they have to pay out! Too bad about their profits...
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