WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced Thursday that a costly border fence amendment has been dropped from the 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.
Congressman Cuellar and other border lawmakers urged House leadership to block the proposal which called for 700 miles of pedestrian border fencing.
"When the Government Accountability Office tells you this would cost Americans $6.5 billion, I say those dollars are better invested into supporting the manpower and resources at Customs and Border Patrol and local law enforcement," said Congressman Cuellar.
The amendment, authored by Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), would have required at least 300 miles of new pedestrian barrier fencing to be completed along the border by December 31, 2010.
Last year, the Government Accountability Office estimated that each mile of border fencing would cost $7 million to construct.
In July and again in October, Congressman Cuellar spearheaded a letter with the support of other border lawmakers from Texas, Arizona and California. Lawmakers referred to DeMint's amendment as "wasteful spending" which would come at "enormous taxpayer expense."
Border lawmakers who have been working to remove this provision since July include Representatives Henry Cuellar, Silvestre Reyes, Ruben Hinojosa, Solomon Ortiz, Bob Filner, Raul Grijalva, Gabrielle Giffords and Susan Davis.
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