Obviously. this is an important issue. There is no issue I heard about more. over the past several months in particular as I traveled around the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. as the issue of defending our border. We passed an immigration bill in the Senate which was an attempt to increase the number of border guards. increase detention facilities. build new fences. improve our points of entry at our southern border. That is wonderful. if we can get a comprehensive immigration bill passed. If we get a piece of that immigration bill passed that deals with the border. I think that is a positive step in the right direction. That doesnt mean we cant do things right now in the normal process to improve the situation at the border. We have done that in prior appropriations bills as a result of the work of the chairman and ranking member. and we should continue to do so. whether we get an immigration reform bill ultimately passed this session of Congress. This is the opportunity for Congress to actually do something concrete and positive this year to enhance our border securityto increase the number of border guards up to the Presidents request and up to what the Department of Homeland Security says they can use this year and train this year. I am hopeful we will get support for thisagain. if it is fully offset. It is something we have cleared through the Ways and Means Committee because this does raise revenue.
Keywords matched
border security immigration