Senate votes to bolster border security; rejects increased tax on airline tickets

Here are probably two issues — motherhood and apple pie — on which you can get a unanimous vote in the Senate (not only unanimous, but with all 100 senators present). Add a third issue: The Senate voted unanimously yesterday — 100-0 — to beef up security at U.S. borders by allocating hundreds of millions of dollars into more patrols, surveillance flights, and sensors to catch illegal immigrants trying to sneak into the country. Senators approved by a 100-0 vote the $32.7 billion budget for DHS next year, but they rejected proposals to boost allocations for cities and states at high risk of terrorist attacks. The Senate also agreed to make digging tunnels under the border a felony but rejected adding another 370 miles of fencing along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border (about 75 miles of the border is now fenced). The House has voted to add 700 miles of fencing.

Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) said: “The fact of the matter is that South America and Mexico itself have become a land bridge for people from around the world seeking to come through our southern border into the United States,” he said. Security gaps at U.S. borders “allow gang members, allow common criminals, allow narcotraffickers, and yes, even terrorists to enter our country without our knowing it.” Senators from states which border Canada increased their demand for additional surveillance flights and patrol officers along the 4,000-mile U.S.-Canada border.

The spending plan included a $1 billion increase for security staff and equipment at borders and ports. A third of the cost would be covered through higher immigration fees. The Senate bill is about $1.7 billion more than President George Bush requested and $700 million larger than a bill passed by the House last month. Note that for the second year in a row, the Senate joined the House in rejecting Bush’s call for $1.3 billion in new taxes on airline tickets to pay for homeland security spending increases.