Robbing Peter to pay for OTMs

Yesterday the Senate voted against two bills: one would have added 2000 more Border Patrol agents, and the other would have added 8000 more beds to detention centers. As previously discussed, Other-Than-Mexicans ("OTMs") who sneak across the border in Texas have been taking advantage of the lack of detention space: they're ordered to appear, released into the community, and the vast majority are never heard from again.

But, the Senators have an excuse: apparently both bills would have been paid for by taking money that would have gone to states and localities to pay for first responders.

Tough-talkin' Hillary Clinton voted against both bills, Ken Salazar (D-CO) voted for both. Details in "Senate shuns attempt to add agents".

Of course, one wonders why they were given such a Hobbesian choice in the first place.

Politics · Fri, 07/15/2005 - 08:15 · · Importance: 1