If the Republican emphasis is on border security, why did Republicans vote to reduce funding for their own priority?
In a letter sent on Monday to House appropriations leaders, Senator Charles Schumer of New York and two other Democrats said the House bill would shrink the Border Patrol by 870 agents and cut $272 million in funds for surveillance systems to monitor the border with Mexico. They said those cuts would cancel gains from a bill adopted last August, with virtually unanimous bipartisan support, that increased border funding by $600 million, adding 1,000 new agents to the Border Patrol.
"This magnitude of reduction is simply dangerous," wrote Mr. Schumer, who is chairman of the Senate judiciary subcommittee on immigration. Also signing were Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico and Jon Tester of Montana. [...]
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why in the world Republicans would demand improved border security and then vote to do the opposite. The answer, I suspect, is that House GOP officials don't really know what they're doing -- they looked at the budget for the fiscal year like a pinata, and just started swinging wildly while blindfolded. It seems quite likely to me that Republicans slashed funding for the Border Patrol without even realizing it.
Only the American people want to prevent illegal immigration, not the politicians, nor businesses, nor limousine liberals. They like the idea of more citizens to tax, more workers to exploit, and more voters in their camp.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
