House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today issued the following statement after President Bush signed into law the FY 2007 Homeland Security Appropriations Conference Report (H.R. 5441):"The American people want our homeland secure and our borders secure, and Republicans have responded by working with President Bush to strengthen our border security and ensure our illegal immigration laws are strictly enforced. This important legislation provides more border patrol agents, additional fencing and border infrastructure, and more state-of-the-art surveillance, all of which will help stop the flow of illegal immigration into the United States.
"This measure makes major strides in our efforts to secure U.S. ports and provide the resources necessary to better track and protect containers en route to our shores. In addition, it includes a structural overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to improve natural disaster preparedness and response, provides much needed resources for state and local first responders, and takes proactive steps to safeguard our nation's high-risk chemical facilities."
Key Initiatives in the Homeland Security Bill
The Homeland Security conference agreement funds a number of critical issues:
* Border Security. The measure provides $21.3 billion for border protection and immigration enforcement, including $2.27 billion for border patrol, adding 1,500 new Border Patrol agents, for a total of 14,800; $1.2 billion for border fencing, vehicle barriers, technology and infrastructure; and $4.2 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It also includes identical language to the Border Tunnel Prevention Act (H.R. 4830) - which passed the House two weeks ago - making it a crime to knowingly construct, finance, or allow the construction of border tunnels beneath the U.S. border.
* Port Security. The agreement provides $4.3 billion to secure our ports and inbound cargo in order to prevent terrorists and criminals from exploiting the international commerce system.
* First Responders. The agreement provides $3.4 billion for first responders - including terrorism prevention and preparedness, general law enforcement, firefighter assistance, airport security, seaport security, and public health preparedness.
* FEMA Reforms. The bill includes a comprehensive structural overhaul of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to improve and better coordinate emergency response and crisis management among federal, state and local emergency preparedness officials.
* Chemical Security. The agreement takes significant steps to safeguard the nation's high-risk chemical facilities, authorizing the Homeland Security Department to audit and inspect facilities and shut down facilities that do not comply with federal safeguards.
And, if I am not mistaken, this is also the bill that finally outlaws the biggest threat to national security since grandma trying to get on an airplane...internet gambling. What I want to know is what Republican(s) wasn't going to vote for this during an election cycle WITHOUT the internet gambling ban. Don't worry, sports fans, I've got an email in to the Majority Leader's office and hopefully, we'll get to the bottom of this!
