by Bill Hess

Sierra Vista Herald

Although $701 million for border security was cut by the U.S. Senate last week from the war supplemental bill, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the same amount Wednesday in an emergency border security funding bill.

The funds’ revival was introduced by Democratic U.S. Rep. David Price of North Carolina, chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Tucson, had fought for the funds since they were removed by the Senate. Arizona’s two GOP U.S. senators voted to remove the money and other funds totaling nearly $20 billion that had been added to the supplemental bill by House members.

“I promised members of the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association when I spoke to them last week that I would fight for this funding,” said Giffords, who represents Arizona 8th Congressional District.

The first responsibility of the government is to protect its citizens from harm, and “the Senate failed in meeting this responsibility when it voted against border security last week,” said the congresswoman, whose district includes all of Cochise County.

Now the ball has been passed back to the Senate, where she said she hopes the upper chamber will quickly approve the funding.

While both of Arizona’s senators — John McCain and Jon Kyl — voted to remove the $20 billion in add-ons to the war supplemental bill, McCain said he would like to have a clean bill for border security presented so he could add amendments to strengthen border security. House Bill 5875 includes funds for 1,200 additional Border Patrol agents, 500 more Customs and Border Protection officers at ports of entry, improved tactical communication along the border, three permanent Border Patrol operating bases, two additional unmanned aerial vehicles, $201 million for the Department of Justice to hire additional agents for the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI for border duties and to hire additional prosecutors, $50 million for Operation Stonegarden grants to support local law enforcement activities and $30 million for Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities.

After the Senate’s action, Giffords worked with Price to introduce the emergency border appropriations bill.

At a news conference in Washington, Giffords said not having additional money for the border sent a message, especially from the Senate, to those who live along the international boundary: “Your lives, your safety are not important.”

Dr. Gary Thrasher, a Cochise County veterinarian and border resident, said he is pleased: “She’s been carrying the water a long time on this and I’m proud of her,” he said.