As FAIR reported last week, Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) introduced an amendment to the financial regulation bill (S. 3217) that would require the completion of 700 miles of double-layer physical fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border within one year. (FAIR's Legislative Update, May 10, 2010; DeMint Press Release, May 5, 2010). DeMint attached his amendment to an amendment authored by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) that would restrict secret holds in the Senate. (Roll Call, May 13, 2010). This ensured that the Senate would have to vote on the border fence amendment before turning to Wyden's amendment.
<-Sen Wyden blocks measures to secure the border against Mexican Drug Cartels and Americans along the border are still unprotected
Senate Democrats, however, chose to block consideration of DeMint's amendment by having Wyden withdraw his amendment. Wyden called the DeMint Amendment "very controversial," but the very same amendment passed last year by a bipartisan 54-44 vote when Senator DeMint offered it to the FY2010 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. (Roll Call Vote No. 220, July 8, 2009). In the end, Senator DeMint offered Democrats a chance to make good on their numerous pledges to address border security, but to no avail. (C-SPAN, May 13, 2010 at approximately 5:17:30).
