The Senate passed a border security bill on Thursday. The Senate, on its August getaway, had only two Democrats present to deal with the vote. The border security bill allocates $ 600 million to hire more agents and purchase more equipment to police the U.S./Mexico border. Border states dealing with illegal immigration and drug trafficking are pressuring the federal government to take concrete steps toward border security.
Bill funds 1,500 border security jobs
The Senate convened a special session Thursday to pass the border security bill. The bill passed by unanimous consent, a parliamentary term for a voice vote that doesn’t require the return of the entire Senate chamber. G.O.P. senators cooperated for a change. The Associated Press reports the bill funds U.S./Mexico border security jobs for 1,000 new Border Patrol agents, 250 more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and 250 more Customs and Border Protection officers. It also funds new communications equipment and greater use of unmanned surveillance drones. The Justice Department will receive about one-third of the cash to help the FBI, DEA and ATF come down on human traffickers and drug dealers.
Legal immigration dunned to pay for bill
Both parties hope the election year theatre of the border security bill impresses voters with their border security chops as the Arizona immigration law resonates through the political landscape. The Los Angeles Times reports that boosted fees on corporations that hire foreign workers legally through United States of America visa programs will pay for the $ 600 million bill. The package is an election year stunt that does little to address the complexities of illegal immigration, according to immigration advocates. Politicians say a broader debate on immigration reform that contains a route to citizenship for about 11 million illegal immigrants will be made possible when the border is secured.
Rare special session gets results
The Senate Historical Office said the Senate has called a special session during summer break only one other time since the August getaway was established in 1970. The New York Times reports that Charles E. Schumer of New York and Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland, both Democrats, were the only senators present. The border security bill had already been passed by the House and Senate. But a violation of the senate’s arcane procedural rules required a do-over. The only other time the Senate unexpectedly reconvened during the summer recess was after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
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