DHS fails to submit strategic border security plan
By Chris Strohm, CongressDaily
The Homeland Security Department has not yet submitted a strategic plan to Congress on how it intends to improve border security and immigration enforcement,
prompting House appropriators to cut funding in the department's fiscal 2007 budget.Although President Bush called on Congress Monday night to provide necessary funding for border security, lawmakers say the administration has not said how the money will be spent or how results will be measured.
"For years we have thrown huge sums of money at border security but the problem has gotten progressively worse," House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky., said in a statement Monday. "What we need is a sound, comprehensive strategy that allows us to measure progress. Without a strategic border security plan we are simply planning to fail."
Rogers demanded during a hearing last month that the department submit a plan for its massive, multibillion-dollar Secure Border Initiative, which is intended to crack down on illegal immigration and criminal activity at the borders and inside the country.
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The aide said Rogers' panel is worried that SBI might fail like past efforts. The government spent about $430 million from 1998 to 2004 on one program to deploy advanced technology to the borders.
But the program was scrapped after investigators found much of the equipment either did not work or was never installed.http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=34088&dcn=todaysnewsSomeone's pockets are getting fatter and nothing is getting done. Go figure.