House committee approves bill that includes $10 billion for border wall
On Wednesday, the House Homeland Security Committee passed a border security bill that includes $10 billion in border wall funding, $5 billion to improve entry points, and money to hire 5,000 more Border Patrol agents.
Proposed by committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the Border Security for America Act passed along party lines, 18-12, and is seen by Democrats as a way for Republicans to throw a bone to President Trump, who made building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border a campaign issue. Democrats are also concerned that this may be an early attempt at linking border security funding with protecting DACA recipients. "There's no doubt that this is a setup for that conversation," Rep. Nannette Barragán (D-Calif.) said.
The bill will likely pass in the House, but isn't expected to clear the Senate, where a 60-vote majority is necessary. The committee's Democrats had fun proposing amendments to the bill, like Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who called for its name to be changed to the "Taking Americans' Land to Build Trump's Wall Act of 2017," and Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas), who proposed that any definition of a "border wall" include the words "big and beautiful," "real," "inclusive of a door," and "paid for by the Mexican government," The Hill reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Ukraine cheers House approval of military aid
Speed Read Following a lengthy struggle, the House has approved $95 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Olive oil: alternatives for the 'liquid gold'
The Week Recommends As the price of this store cupboard staple has rocketed, we look at ways to save and other oils to use for cooking
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Scotland Yard, Gaza and the politics of policing protests
Talking Point Met Police accused of 'two-tier policing' by former home secretary as new footage emerges of latest flashpoint
By The Week UK Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published