Bush Looks for More Border Money

President Bush said Friday that he will propose spending an additional $2.1 billion next year in the effort to secure the nation’s borders without slowing down the millions of people, trucks and railroad cars that cross them each day, the Associated Press reported.

Bush spoke aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma, which had raced from Rhode Island to New York Harbor on Sept. 11 to conduct ship inspections and control sea traffic after the terrorist attacks.

After touring the Coast Guard craft at the International Marine Terminal in Portland, Me., Bush said he would seek a budget of $10.7 billion for border security -- 20% more than in fiscal 2002.

The $10.7 billion comes as part of a $37.7 billion homeland security plan Bush is pushing for, Bloomberg reported. Bush's budget request for homeland security is double the amount spent in the current fiscal year. (Click here for related coverage.)

The new spending plan, if approved, would go into effect Oct. 1, when fiscal 2003 begins.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service will receive the lion’s share of the increase, Reuters said, getting $1.2 billion. The money will be used to more than double the number of border patrol agents and inspectors, especially along the northern border with Canada.

An increased border patrol presence could ease traffic delays at the nation’s borders, and allow greater movement between the U.S. and its neighbors. This could also speed truck shipments, which are often subject to inspections and delays at the nation’s borders.

The new funding would bring the INS’ enforcement budget to $5.3 billion, helping to fund an integrated computer system for field agents and a new system to track foreigners’ arrivals and departures.

The Customs Service, Coast Guard and Agriculture Department are all in line to receive some money as part of the homeland security budget, Reuters said. That money will go toward new technology and more personnel for the agencies.

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