Senate sends border measure to White House
WASHINGTON -- The House cut off its summer break for a day this week to wrap up unfinished business, and Thursday morning, the Senate did the same, or at least a couple of senators did.
In a rare recess session that wrapped up in a half-hour, and with only two senators present, the Senate cleared a bill that authorizes $600 million to hire 1,500 more agents to patrol the U.S. border with Mexico and supply more high-tech equipment and surveillance drones to the Southwest.
Sen. Harry Reid, the majority leader, stayed in Nevada and dispatched one of his deputies, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., to run the session.
Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., drove in from his home in Baltimore to preside at the session. Republicans had sent word they would not object to passing the bill by unanimous consent.
Passage of the border security bill, which was sent to the White House for enactment, gave the Democrats another opportunity to advertise their desire to take up broader immigration measures that could include strategies to normalize people who have entered the country illegally.
In a statement, Reid said: "I continue to believe that increased enforcement along our borders is only one part of a sound, comprehensive solution to fix our broken immigration system, and more work remains to achieve that ultimate goal."
Tom Brede, a Reid spokesman, said it was coincidence the Senate took up the immigration-related measure a few days after Reid ignited Republicans and the conservative blogosphere for remarks he made before a group of Hispanic supporters in Las Vegas.
At the event, Reid blamed Republicans for the Senate's failure to tackle a comprehensive immigration bill this year and said, "I don't know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican."
Reid did not back down from the comment and said in a follow-up that Republicans, including opponent Sharron Angle, do not support policies on job creation and social welfare that Democrats think are important to Hispanics and others.
Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.
