I appreciate my friends comments on the prescription drug debate. the energy debate. and the student loan debate. I would remind my friend that we are here to facilitate action on the Homeland Security appropriations bill. the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act modernization. and the military tribunals bill. and with her help we can move this procedure along and continue to act on behalf of the American people to make them safer. Madam Speaker. we need to get the boots on the ground to secure our borders. the money for 1.200 new Border Patrol agents. new Customs officials. and the modernization and authorization for our intelligence and law enforcement officials to utilize the best technology and the best communications to prevent and disrupt any potential plans to attack our homeland. Those are the items that are embodied in this bill that we are considering at this time. and. as I said. with her assistance we can move forward and then be able to again address the other issues that she mentioned. on top of the work that we have already done in passing three major energy bills in the past 18 months that deal not only with fossil fuels and the need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. that deal with the expansion of refining capacity in this country. which was largely blocked by the other side of the aisle. an energy policy that provides prizes in the form of monetary grants to those innovative individuals around America who find the next big thing. who can innovate on a hydrogen type of fuel cell or the hybrid and continuing to build on that. building on the tax incentives that we passed through this body that encourage people to purchase hybrid vehicles. looking at renewables. solar. and wind. All of those things.
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Border Patrol