From the Desert - A blog from the Arizona Desert

The Senate finally decided to listen to their constituents and allocate funds for increased border security today, after an overnight compromise between Democrats and Republicans. The agreement puts the White House in a bind, as President Bush had already threatened to veto the homeland security bill for spending too much money.

Senate Democrats and Republicans came together on July 26 to devote an additional $3 billion to gaining control over the U.S.-Mexico border, putting Congress on a path to override President Bush's promised veto of a $38 billion homeland security funding bill.

The deal resurrects a GOP plan launched Wednesday to pass some of the most popular elements of Bush's failed immigration bill, including money for additional Border Patrol agents and fencing along the southern border.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, and Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn resolved their differences overnight and announced an agreement on July 26. Cornyn won a promise to have some of the money used to go after immigrants who had entered the United States legally but had overstayed their visas.

The measure is opposed by the White House, top Republicans said, and it clearly puts the president in a box. Bush had already promised a veto of the underlying homeland security bill for spending $2.3 billion more than he requested.

The Senate voted 89-4. Have they voted on anything by this margin in the last six months? I guess border security is a lot more bipartisan issue than it was two moths ago.

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