Immigration: House Passes Border Bill for More Federal Agents, Drones
Tom Diemer
Correspondent
Posted:
08/10/10
Call it a rare bipartisan moment if you like, but the U.S. House easily approved a $600 million bill Tuesday authorizing more than 1,000 additional border agents and surveillance drones to patrol the border with Mexico.
With the House back from a break for a one day session, the legislation was passed quickly under suspension of usual rules -- meaning Republicans could have blocked the fast-paced action. But they chose not to, and the measure sailed through on a voice vote. Although it is identical to a version approved by the Senate last week, the two bills must still technically be reconciled, meaning the plan can't go to President Obama for his signature until next month since the Senate is on summer recess.
Once it becomes law, money will be freed for more border guards, a bolstering of Drug Enforcement Agency, ATF, U.S. Marshals and FBI units, and also for additional unmanned drones to monitor movements along the southern border. The Senate decided to pay for the plan by raising fees on foreign-based personnel companies that bring workers to the United States, often from India.
The scaled down bill is a far cry from the comprehensive immigration reform that Obama has repeatedly sought from the Congress. But it is a reaction to demands that the federal government take stronger steps to deal with illegal immigrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.
With the House back from a break for a one day session, the legislation was passed quickly under suspension of usual rules -- meaning Republicans could have blocked the fast-paced action. But they chose not to, and the measure sailed through on a voice vote. Although it is identical to a version approved by the Senate last week, the two bills must still technically be reconciled, meaning the plan can't go to President Obama for his signature until next month since the Senate is on summer recess.
Once it becomes law, money will be freed for more border guards, a bolstering of Drug Enforcement Agency, ATF, U.S. Marshals and FBI units, and also for additional unmanned drones to monitor movements along the southern border. The Senate decided to pay for the plan by raising fees on foreign-based personnel companies that bring workers to the United States, often from India.The scaled down bill is a far cry from the comprehensive immigration reform that Obama has repeatedly sought from the Congress. But it is a reaction to demands that the federal government take stronger steps to deal with illegal immigrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.