McCain: We Might Drop Those 20,000 New Border Patrol Agents We Promised

Katie Pavlich | July 31, 2013 3:00 PM

As the House of Representatives prepares to take up the issue of illegal immigration, the Senate is already prepping for conference negotiations with John McCain taking the lead.

It turns out, some of the most crucial aspects of border enforcement already passed by the Senate, including the addition of 20,000 new Border Patrol agents, are likely to be negotiated away, proving once again that the Gang of 8 was a complete sham.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) signaled Tuesday that the dramatic boost in border-security in the Senate’s comprehensive immigration bill could be one of the provisions that may be changed in a potential House-Senate compromise.
During an immigration forum hosted by the AFL-CIO Tuesday, McCain – a key Senate Gang of Eight negotiator – said while a pathway to citizenship for the nation’s undocumented immigrants is a “fundamental element” of the bill, the “rest of it could be adjusted.” He singled out the border security parts as an example.

“We don’t need 20,000 additional border patrol agents,” McCain said Tuesday. “But what we do need is use of technology that has been developed where we can survey the border more effectively.”

The border-security provisions in the Gang of Eight bill, written by Republican Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and John Hoeven of North Dakota, would set aside more than $46 billion to double the number of border patrol agents along the southwestern U.S. boundary, add new surveillance technology and to complete the 700-mile border fence.

In case you missed it, Breitbart News recently proved why we in fact do need more Border Patrol agents and better security along the southern border with Mexico.

Broadly, going to conference means losing control of the legislation – meaning pro-amnesty lawmakers will gain control. Even under the best case scenario, House conservatives trying to steer away from amnesty will be a distinct minority on any conference committee. They’d be pared with pro-amnesty Democrats from the House and Senate and pro-amnesty Republicans in the Senate. The deck would be stacked to deliver an amnesty plan that closely resembles the Senate’s Gang of Eight bill.

Congress heads into August recess on Friday and will hear from constituents back at home about this very issue. Debate and details about a plan will most likely emerge in September when lawmakers return to Capitol Hill.