Additional $3B for border security funds

Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed on July 26 to add $3 billion in technology and resources to the fiscal 2008 Homeland Security spending bill for border security and to crack down on illegal immigrants. But the extra funding is also likely to complicate conference proceedings and put Congress on a path toward a showdown with the White House. President Bush had already threatened to veto the legislation over its total level of spending before the additional funding was added. In approving the extra funding, Democrats and Republicans declared that gaining control of the nation's borders and going after illegal immigrants constitutes a national emergency. "If there was ever a legitimate emergency in this country I think this would be one of those times because we've lost control of our border," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
(Government Executive story)