Speech #1090165761

ISAKSON. CHAMBLISS. and I sent a letter to President Bush asking him to send Congress an emergency supplemental request to fully fund those programs. again. not new programs. by and large. but programs that have already been authorized by an act of Congress. signed into law by the President but never funded. in addition to a couple of additional programs the President himself has said we need in order to deal with this problem. A request by the President would send a clear message that the time for the status quo is over. it is no longer acceptable. and that the Federal Government will fund and. yes. will enforce the immigration laws of the United States. But I am also prepared to proceed with an amendment to this Defense appropriations bill. the amendment that is before the Senate. It is my hope and desire that by funding enforcement programs that we will increase the credibility of the Federal Government when it comes to actually creating a system that will work and will facilitate a successful conference on comprehensive immigration reform between the House and the Senate. This amendment in no way eliminates the need for comprehensive immigration reform. It is not a substitute for it. and I believe that comprehensive immigration reform should and can be done in a single piece of legislation. In fact. this amendment. rather than being a substitute for that comprehensive immigration reform. is just the opposite. This amendment will allow us to find common ground on visa reform and ways to address the 12 million individuals who are currently living in the shadows and outside our laws. Absent action on this sort of credibilityrestoring measure. I am afraid that we will find ourselves at a continued stalemate and do nothing. My amendment would fund an additional 500 Border Patrol agents. along with the necessary support staff. training. and education to help make our borders safe. The President called for an additional 2.500 agents. and this appropriations amendment would allow him and us to meet that goal. This amendment would also fund 1.300 additional detention beds which would allow the Department of Homeland Security to end its policy of catch and release more quickly.