End Deadlock on Immigration Bill Transcript: Congressional Record July 11, 2006

Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, after September 11, we all concluded that securing our borders was a top priority. Unfortunately, for the past 5 years the Republican majority here in Washington, from the White House to Capitol Hill, have refused to adequately fund border needs.

As a Congress, we promised to add 2,000 Border Patrol agents, 8,000 additional detention beds, and to add 800 more immigration investigators every year between 2005 and 2009. Two years into that promise, we are falling exceedingly short. House Republicans have cut $48 million from Customs and Border Security Protection; and Democrats tried to restore the funding, but we were rebuffed by the Republican majority.

It is bad enough that Washington Republicans refuse to properly fund border security measures, but now it appears they are unwilling to work together to negotiate a final border security and immigration bill this year.

The only way we will secure our borders is if House and Senate Republicans stop playing games, stop holding press conferences disguised as hearings, and actually sit down and hammer out a compromise. It is time to start fishing and stop cutting bait.