Gabby Giffords: “I am absolutely appalled the United States Senate eliminated over $700 million for protecting our U.S.-Mexico border.…”

“I am absolutely appalled the United States Senate eliminated over $700 million for protecting our U.S.-Mexico border. This appropriations bill in the Senate included money to deploy the National Guard to Arizona and increase the number of Border Patrol agents and surveillance systems on the border. By refusing to approve these funds, the United States said ``no'' to supporting the troops who will be arriving on the border next week. The Senate said ``no'' to increasing Border Patrol agents who would stop the flow of illegal drugs and illegal immigrants into our country. And the Senate said ``no'' to protecting ranchers and border residents in my district. Since Thursday, I have been fighting to reinstate the funding stripped out by the Senate, and I am pleased that the House will consider an emergency supplemental border security measure today. I am proud to be an original sponsor of that bill, and I urge Members on both sides of the aisle to pass it without delay. The failure by our Senate to provide the border resources that Arizonans and all Americans deserve represents Washington at its worst. It's also a sober reminder to all of us that the fight to strengthen border security is not over.”