FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 15, 2005

Isakson Praises Passage of Homeland Security Funding Bill
IncludesIsakson Amendment Calling on U.S. and Mexico to Improve Border Security

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) today praised the Senate passage of the annual funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. The $30.8 billion bill includes $282 million for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Ga.  The final bill also included an amendment by Isakson calling on the United States and Mexico to address the urgent need for better immigration enforcement at the border.

“Theses funds will go along way to ensuring we have the resources necessary to defend and protect this nation,” Isakson said. “With the world’s busiest airport, the Centers for Disease Control and two vital ports, I am confident Georgia will benefit greatly from this bill.”

Isakson said FLETC, which serves as an interagency law enforcement training organization for more than 70 Federal agencies, provides a critical role to state, local, and international law enforcement agencies.

On Monday, the Senate also unanimously passed an amendment to the Homeland Security bill by Isakson to the legislation acknowledging that terrorists and other illegal immigrants are taking advantage of inadequate security along the U.S.-Mexico border and calling on both nations to address the urgent need for increased protection and enforcement on the border.

“We have a great trading partner to the south. We have a great neighbor to the south. We have a country that shares many common interests. We have a country that we enjoy being our neighbor,” Isakson said. “We also would like for them to be our partner in seeing to it that the border we share is secure so that those who are crossing are crossing legally and consistent with the laws of that nation.”

The bill includes $5.9 billionfor securing our nation’s borders and $3.8 billion for investigating and enforcing immigration and customs laws. Additional highlights of the bill include: $7.8 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard, $5 billion for the Transportation Security Administration and $340 million for continued development of the United States Visitor and Immigration Status Indicator Technology (US VISIT), which enhances the security of U.S. citizens and visitors by verifying the identity of visitors with visas.

The Senate version of the fiscal year 2006 appropriations bill must still be reconciled with the House version and passed again by Congress before it can be sent to President Bush for his signature.