February 10, 2005

New Border Agents: 10,000 promised, 210 proposed

Budget scraps 98% of new border agents: Less than two months ago, President Bush signed a law to add 10,000 new Border Patrol agents... Bush's proposal to fund just 210 agents will result in an actual loss of agents...

See also the longer article "Belt-tightening cuts border plans":

...The law signed by Bush had a loophole that went virtually unreported at the time. A summary, published by the Senate Government Affairs Committee, required the government to increase the number of Border Patrol agents by at least 2,000 per year "subject to available appropriations."

Democrats were unhappy that the proposed budget used the escape clause so soon after the president approved the huge boost in border agents.

"We know we must do more to shore up security along our borders, " said Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, top Democrat on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. "The president's budget does not even attempt to meet this challenge."

Some Republicans also were displeased.

"This is an area of homeland security that needs to be ramped up in order to increase surveillance and patrols of our nation's vast and often remote borders," said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee...

They apparently think we have short memories, but at least they're singing a new tune, albeit probably temporarily.

Posted to Immigration2005a at February 10, 2005 12:39 AM

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