Securing Our Borders, Preventing Terrorist Attacks

Securing Our Borders, Preventing Terrorist Attacks

U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR) today voted to fund the nation's homeland security priorities, including border security, agreeing to the conference report on the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, which the House passed by a vote of 412-6.

"Post 9/11, border security has become a main component of national security," Rep. Boozman said. "Our nation cannot be secure if we don't know who is crossing our borders, nor can we continue to be a country if we have no border enforcement.

"Today we have funded more Border Patrol Agents, border fencing, and surveillance technology," Boozman added. "This bill will help protect our nation and help ensure that no one who wishes to harm us can enter our country."

Among other things, the conference report on H.R. 5441, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2007, will provide the following:

* $2.77 billion for the 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;
* $4.34 billion for port and cargo security, including $1.435 billion for Customs and Border Protection cargo inspection and trade operations and $139 million for the Container Security Initiative;
* $5.2 billion for the Secure Border Initiative, to provide the Department of Homeland Security with the tools to prevent terrorists and other criminals from crossing our borders and exploiting our immigration system;
* $1.5 billion for disaster relief;
* $481 million for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to coordinate global nuclear detection and tracking;
* $496 million for biological, chemical, and explosives countermeasures; and
* $2.6 billion for passenger and baggage screeners.

http://www.boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=51112