Following Up On That Last Post... DHS Issues Debated In Congress

House Debates Funding for Port Security, Border Crossings and Chemical Plants

As if I needed more fuel for my fires, it appears that the congress critters cannot seem to set their priorities straight and the issues are still up for debate.

The House of Representatives has been struggling over efforts to pump billions of extra dollars into homeland security, namely at seaports, border crossings and chemical plants, even as critics are saying the government isn’t doing enough to protect us from terrorists.

Fox News is reporting the House moved toward passing the spending bill last week, which would give the Homeland Security Department $32 billion in 2007, $1.8 billion more than this year.

“We don’t have the bucks in here to get enough of a bang to really protect the country,” Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin told Fox. He was pushing a long-shot plan to spend an additional $3.5 billion to secure borders and ports, and to give more money to states for emergency first responders, by rolling back tax cuts on Americans who earn more than $1 million next year.

For the second straight year, the report says the House bill eliminates a $1.3 billion administration plan to raise fees for airline passengers. Other highlights include:

$20 billion to protect borders and deter illegal immigration
$4.2 billion for port security
$6.5 billion to bolster disaster preparedness and FEMA
$3.2 billion in state and local grants for emergency first responders

To read the full article, click here.