Patty Murray: “I want to make a few remarks regarding the amendment that has been offered by the Senator from Alabama. I want my…”

“I want to make a few remarks regarding the amendment that has been offered by the Senator from Alabama. I want my colleagues to know that this amendment which the Senator from Alabama is proposing provides over $1.8 billion for the construction of a fence along the southwest border of the United States. However, my colleagues should know that he pays for this amendment by an across-the-board cut to virtually every other discretionary program that is funded within this Homeland Security bill. That amendment amounts to a 5.7 percent decrease to critical programs such as the Coast Guard operations that are absolutely essential in both homeland security and with the number of domestic issues. His amendment would also cut FEMA and disaster relief funds at the height of the hurricane and western forest fire season, and it cuts funding from the Secret Service for the protection of the President. This amendment also cuts a lot of our critical border security programs. On a bipartisan basis earlier this week, the Senate increased funding for border security programs by $350 million. The bill that is before the Senate right now has $11 billion for Customs and border protection and immigration and Customs enforcement. The irony of the Senator's amendment is that it would cut funding for the hiring of 1,000 new Border Patrol agents to pay for the fence. His amendment cuts funding for 1,000 additional detention beds to pay for this fence.…”