April 21, 2005   LIEBERMAN HAILS ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR BORDER SECURITY $360 million for additional agents, detention beds, unmanned aircraft   WASHINGTON – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., Thursday applauded Senate approval of additional funding for border security. Lieberman co-sponsored an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2005 supplemental spending bill by Senator Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., to increase by $390 million what the federal government will spend on border security. The funding represents an advance payment on the increases in border agents and detention beds authorized for FY 2006 spending by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. “Right now, we have a finger-in-the-dike approach to protecting our borders,” Lieberman said. “With just under 11,000 agents protecting 6,000 miles of border, thousands of people enter our country illegally every day. The new Border Patrol agents hired and trained because of this amendment will improve immigration enforcement and strengthen our hand in the war against terrorism.” The Byrd amendment, which was approved by the Senate late Wednesday, would pay for 650 Border Patrol agents, 250 Immigrations and Customs Enforcement investigators, and 168 enforcement agents and detention officers. An additional $10 million would be spent on unmanned aerial vehicles on the Southern border. And $66 million would pay for an additional 2,000 detention beds, allowing the government to house 20,500 aliens at any one time. The Byrd amendment begins to fulfill border security requirements of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, authored by Lieberman and HSGAC Chairman Susan Collins, R-Me., which authorized the hiring of an additional 2,000 border agents each year for five years, an additional 800 ICE investigators each year for five years, and the creation of 8,000 additional detention beds each year for five years.   ###   Printable Version   « previous Press Release next Press Release »   1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008 April 2005 Press Releases   April 27 - LIEBERMAN STATEMENT ON SECURITY OF CHEMICAL FACILITIES   April 26 - COLLINS, LIEBERMAN CALL FOR RECONSIDERATION OF MERCURY RULE   April 25 - Senators Collins and Lieberman ask TSA to Crackdown on Waste at Transportation Security Operations Center   April 21 - LIEBERMAN STATEMENT ON NEGROPONTE CONFIRMATION   April 21 current Press Release   April 20 - LIEBERMAN SAYS REAL ID ACT WOULD MAKE NATION LESS SAFE BY REPEALING TERRORIST SAFEGUARDS ENACTED UPON RECOMMENDATION OF 9/11 COMMISSION   April 15 - COLLINS, LIEBERMAN URGE DHS TO PRODUCE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY   April 14 - REAL ID ACT DRIVERS’ LICENSE PROVISIONS ARE NOT ONLY UNWORKABLE BUT COULD MAKE NATION LESS SAFE   April 13 - COLLINS, LIEBERMAN SEEK FULL FUNDING FOR START UP OF DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE’S OFFICE   April 13 - SENATE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE APPROVES HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING FORMULA LEGISLATION   April 13 - SENATORS COLLINS & LIEBERMAN INVITE INPUT FROM SECRETARY CHERTOFF ON IAIP ROLE   April 12 - TWELVE SENATORS URGE FRIST TO KEEP REAL ID ACT OFF SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS BILL   April 11 - LIEBERMAN BUILDING UPON 9/11 REFORMS PASSED LAST YEAR   April 7 - NEW HAVEN WINS PORTION OF FEDERAL TRANSIT SECURITY GRANT   April 7 - COLLINS, LIEBERMAN SEEK FACTS ABOUT RECENT ANTHRAX SCARE AT DOD   April 4 - LIEBERMAN SAYS COMMUNICATIONS, PARTNERSHIPS ARE KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL HOMELAND DEFENSE
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