Isakson Urges Swift Action on Border Security, Renews Call
for Emergency Supplemental to Secure U.S. Border
‘It Is Clear We Have a Crisis in Confidence’
6/28/07 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)
today said the President and Congress must commit to securing the border
as the first step of immigration reform, and he renewed his call to
secure the border by using a supplemental spending bill to fully fund
the manpower and technology necessary to do so.
Isakson today voted against
a procedural motion to cut off debate on the immigration bill. The
procedural vote failed 46 to 53. Senate rules required 60 votes to
proceed with the bill.
“It
is clear we have a crisis in confidence
among the American people over our
commitment to secure the
border,” Isakson said.
“Because past promises have yet to be fulfilled, the confidence level in
the Congress and in the Administration to secure the border and to pay
for enforcement measures is too low for immigration reform to proceed.”
Isakson believes border
security must be “de-coupled” from the rest of the immigration bill, and
that it must be the first, separate step of reform, before anything else
takes place. He believes this is the only way to assure the American
people that the President and the Congress are serious about securing
the border.
Two weeks ago, Isakson
and Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) sent a letter to President Bush
urging him to request an emergency supplemental spending measure for
border security. In the wake of today’s vote, Isakson renewed his call
for an emergency supplemental spending bill.
“We pass
emergency supplementals for various things in this body. We’ve done it
in response to Katrina. We’ve done it in response to Iraq. I would
submit that the American people would tell you there’s no greater
emergency right now than securing our border,”
Isakson said. “An authorization is a promise, and an
appropriation is a commitment. It is time that Congress makes a
commitment and makes border security a reality.”
