Posted on 07/06/2007 10:06:22 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
WASHINGTON — National security along the U.S.-Mexico border and efforts to enhance law enforcement will be the focus of a congressional trip to South Texas this week.
Lawmakers and staffers from the House Appropriations subcommittee for Homeland Security will be in San Antonio, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Austin and Brownsville to view ongoing efforts to improve security without disrupting U.S. trade with Mexico.
Rep. David Price, D-N.C., the subcommittee chairman, will lead the delegation and meet with local officials about ways to improve security and lessen the impact of current proposals on local economies.
Price said it was important to see “these border communities first hand.”
The House has passed the $36.2 billion spending bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2008, which begins Oct. 1.
A Senate panel has passed a Homeland Security spending bill that calls for $37.6 billion for increased security measures, a $2.2 billion increase over President Bush's request for 2008.
The Senate bill calls for $570 million to hire 3,000 new Border Patrol agents, $1 billion for border fencing and $146 million to add 4,000 new detention beds.
Similar measures are included in the House bill.
Differences in the two versions of the spending bill will be ironed out by a House–Senate conference committee later this year.
As lawmakers eye a final draft of the bill, Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, said it was important that members of the appropriations subcommittee get input from local leaders on measures that include border fencing, Border Patrol staffing and the use of technology to boost security.
“Because of their proximity to the border, these cities offer a unique perspective,” said Rodriguez, a member of the subcommittee.
Rodriguez and other Texas members of the subcommittee, Reps. John Carter, R-Round Rock, and John Culberson, R-Houston, along with 10 staffers, will meet privately with local leaders.
No public events are scheduled.
The lawmakers are touring Brownsville at the request of Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, who said local displeasure with the Bush administration's “catch and release” policy for apprehended immigrants from countries other than Mexico helped to stop the process.
“Our loud consternation over that stupid policy had much to do with the administration purportedly ending that policy,” Ortiz said.
The Corpus Christi congressman, whose district includes Cameron County in the Rio Grande Valley, said it is vital for policy makers to understand issues in border communities.
“I hope my colleagues will leave the Valley with a new appreciation for how to apply security to our border without disrupting the local economy,” Ortiz said.
South Texas lawmakers said border communities are the gateway for international trade and an increase in commerce with Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
In addition to local leaders, the congressmen will also discuss federal policy with officials from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Secure Border Initiative.
gmartin@express-news.net
Border Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
I want them to drive over to west El Paso. If they make it out alive then I’ll be interested in their “take” on the situation.
What was Ortiz’ complaint over the “catch and release” policy?
Was it the “release” part or the “catch” part?
It will be a “sanitary” tour with the politicos doing a “nothing to see move along people” routine....
(interesting to correlate their visit with campaign contributors)
They must not want to hear anything from the “noisy” people?
It’s the some old crowd that’s spent billions of our tax dollars taking care of border business for years!
No public events are scheduled.
Gee, wonder why people don't trust Congress - they don't even give enough of a shiite to APPEAR to care about our opinions. Guess what, that works 2 ways.
Let these morons talk to my wife, an immigrant who's spent close to $10,000 over the years to get here, stay here and become a citizen the proper way. She's LIVID about the shamnesty bill, and keeps telling me to ask for our money back. Me, I'd like to know where I can sign up for total tax forgiveness, and I'd like to know why it takes longer for me to get approved to own yet another firearm (I got more than I can hold and shoot at one time, so what's the danger if I get another?) than to screen someone for admittance into the country - and that at a time when its possible that one of those crossing the border may be carrying a nuke or a dirty bomb.
Hey, CONGRESS PUTZHEADS, if you want to know what's going on, talk to the people not a bunch of arse-kissing, ambitious local politicians.
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