WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) released the following statement after voting for legislation to avoid another government shutdown and provide additional resources to secure our borders:
“While far from a perfect bill, the passage of this legislation ends the uncertainty by fully funding the government while supporting additional resources to secure our nation’s borders.
The bill includes nearly $23 billion for overall border security. It provides an unprecedented level of funding for immigration enforcement agencies to ensure that our law enforcement officials have the resources they need to keep the American people safe, protects our ability to detain criminal illegal aliens and includes nearly $1.4 billion in funding for 55 new miles of physical barriers in the most needed areas along the southern border. This is an important step, considering the initial resistance on the part of Democrats to additional border security funding and their insistence that no money for a physical barrier would be provided.
More work remains to be done in order to achieve the level of border security that the American people are calling on Congress to deliver. My colleagues and I are committed to building on this down payment moving forward to resolve the crisis at our southwest border.”
