Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

ProSense

(116,464 posts)
Thu May 9, 2013, 04:36 PM May 2013

GOP Senators Vote To Increase Government Spending On Border Patrol By Tens Of Billions Of Dollars

GOP Senators Vote To Increase Government Spending On Border Patrol By Tens Of Billions Of Dollars

By Igor Volsky

Five Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee who frequently rail against government spending voted to increase federal appropriations on border security by an undetermined billions of dollars during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s mark-up of the bipartisan senate immigration bill on Thursday, agreeing to deploy twice as many border agents to the South Western border than “will be on the ground in Afghanistan at the start of 2014.” The amendment failed in a vote of 5 to 13.

The debate came during consideration of an amendment offered by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) to triple the number of border patrol agents on the border and quadruple the technological infrastructure. The measure, which would have delayed the path to legalization for the nations 11.1 million by almost 10 years, could have required as much as $60 billion in additional government spending.

“We’re talking $30 or $40 billion to do that,” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) , a member of the Gang of 8, who voted against the measure, warned. “That’s a substantial sum. It would take a lot of time. Border patrol says it would take at least 10 years to hire, to contract and to deploy these resources…We have fiscal restraints here.”

Border security has improved significantly since Congress last considered immigration reform. The federal government spent $18 billion — more than on every other federal law enforcement agencies combine — to secure the border during the 2012 fiscal year and has now exceeded the goals and targets set out in the failed 2007 immigration legislation. Border Patrol has deployed 21,000 agents to the border and the government has built 650 miles of fencing in the last 8 years.

- more -

http://thinkprogress.org/immigration/2013/05/09/1990521/gop-senators-vote-to-increase-government-spending-on-border-patrol-by-tens-of-billions-of-dollars/

Would these Republican hypocrites be willing to put that money toward fixing the infrastructure?

3 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
GOP Senators Vote To Increase Government Spending On Border Patrol By Tens Of Billions Of Dollars (Original Post) ProSense May 2013 OP
Debt? What Debt? Sequester? What Sequester? Blue Idaho May 2013 #1
These teapublicans seem to have an endless supply of hot and cold running hypocrisy on tap. Flashmann May 2013 #2
And they cut funding for the State Dept Worldwide Security Program, tanyev May 2013 #3

Blue Idaho

(5,049 posts)
1. Debt? What Debt? Sequester? What Sequester?
Thu May 9, 2013, 04:40 PM
May 2013

These teapublicans seem to have an endless supply of hot and cold running hypocrisy on tap.

Flashmann

(2,140 posts)
2. These teapublicans seem to have an endless supply of hot and cold running hypocrisy on tap.
Thu May 9, 2013, 05:01 PM
May 2013

The ones that are not themselves astoundingly stupid,count on their base being so dumb they can't pronounce "hypocrisy",let alone recognize it.Not surprisingly,most are.

tanyev

(42,552 posts)
3. And they cut funding for the State Dept Worldwide Security Program,
Thu May 9, 2013, 06:18 PM
May 2013

because $2.15 billion is too much.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»GOP Senators Vote To Incr...