Howard Berman: “It is an authorization. The reason I am supporting this amendment is because it tracked the language that we had in the…”

“It is an authorization. The reason I am supporting this amendment is because it tracked the language that we had in the amendment that I was going to offer. It reserves the first $650 million that is appropriated, either out of the Beilenson language in existing law, or the new prison money, if this bill were to be signed into law, it reserves the first $650 million for reimbursements to the States for the costs of incarcerating undocumented criminal aliens. No other money can be spent on this prison program until that money is paid, so it is an authorization plus.”