From Congressman Henry Cuellar
Texas Insider Report: Washington DC Today the House will vote on a stand-alone bill directing $701 million in emergency federal funding for the nations southern border. Eleven lawmakers renewed the effort after the Senate rejected the emergency funding measure last week. On Tuesday Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) and other border representatives urged House Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer to immediately take action to restore the emergency border funds in a new bill.
We are at a critical juncture in our nations border and homeland security" members of the Border Caucus wrote in a letter Tuesday to the senior House leaders.
We urge you to bring to the House floor either a stand-alone bill or another legislative vehicle that includes this southern border security emergency funding."
Todays vote marks a critical step forward following the Senates rejection of the $701 million funding measure as part of a House amendment to the war
supplemental bill last Thursday.
The new bill H.R. 5875 is sponsored by lawmakers from Texas Arizona New Mexico and California including Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman David Price Henry Cuellar Susan Davis Gabrielle Giffords Gene Green Ann Kirkpatrick Alan Mollohan Solomon Ortiz Silvestre Reyes Ciro Rodriguez and Harry Teague.
We cannot wait another six weeks for this critical funding and I am urging my colleagues in the House to swiftly pass this bill today" said Cuellar.
These resources are essential to further secure the U.S. Mexico border and we are asking our House and Senate colleagues to stand with our communities and vote yes to this emergency funding."
The measure includes $356 million for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to hire 1200 additional Border Patrol and additional officers for the Land Ports of Entry plus over $200 million for the Department of Justice to
support law enforcement programs to combat illegal activity at the border.
Additionally $30 million will assist
Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities to reduce the threat of narcotics trafficking and $50 million will support local border law enforcement through Operation Stonegarden.
Thirty-two million is also included for CBPs Air and Marine Operations to fund remotely-piloted aircraft systems to patrol the nations southern border.
