Dems criticized for stripping border security funding from defense bill

Dems criticized for stripping border security funding from defense bill

A Democratic congressman has been joined by an expert on immigration policy in accusing some Senate Democrats of "playing partisan politics" with national security by removing $3 billion in border security funding from the Defense Appropriations bill.

Although the Senate voted 95-1 last month in favor of a border security amendment sponsored by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Senate Democrats recently stripped the amendment behind closed doors in conference committee. The money to build more fencing and hire more Border Patrol agents was transferred to the Homeland Security bill -- a measure President Bush has threatened to veto.

Congressman Heath Shuler (D-North Carolina) is upset the funding was left out of the Pentagon bill. "Once again, I think we start seeing politics playing a part ... when we really need to secure our borders," says the first-term congressman. "That's why it's so important that Americans start speaking out. When we see politics playing a part and [we're] not securing our border, we need to speak out -- and this is a perfect example of politics at its best."

Jim Edwards, an adjunct fellow with the Hudson Institute, says the Democratic majority in the Senate is not willing to put its money where its mouth is on border security.

"Removing the money for the fence tells me that the Democrats are willing to play politics with the border issue and with security of our nation -- and they aren't willing to give anything on security first until they get their amnesty," says the Hudson Institute fellow. "And that is a crying shame that they are willing to go to the brink on something like that."

Shuler is sponsoring a bipartisan bill in the House that promises border security while cracking down on illegal alien workers and employers.