[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 86 (Friday, June 24, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S7389]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, as we bring this week to a close and look 
back, I am pleased with the progress that has been made on the Energy 
bill which we have completed, in essence, except for final passage 
which we will do Tuesday. Then we are ahead of what I initially 
anticipated, having proceeded to our first appropriations bill, the 
Interior appropriations.
  The bill, as has been mentioned, is an excellent bill. I congratulate 
both the leaders on that bill, the chairman and the ranking member on 
the Interior Subcommittee, for their superb shepherding of this bill 
through their subcommittee, and now bringing it to the floor. I also 
thank the committee for reporting a bill that keeps to the spending 
allocation under this year's budget resolution.
  As we travel back home, and as we will see when we go back during the 
Fourth of July recess, the American people expect us to adhere to that 
budget, a very strict spending budget, a budget on which Chairman Gregg 
led, and we passed, the fastest budget we have ever passed but, more 
important than that, a budget that shows fiscal discipline. Indeed, the 
ranking member and chairman of the subcommittee adhered to that 
allocation throughout. Senators Burns and Dorgan have worked hard to be 
responsible stewards of American taxpayer dollars. At the same time it 
is reflected in the bill the importance of being stewards of the 
natural wonders and the heritage and the beauty of our great country. I 
thank Senator Burns and Senator Dorgan for their hard work.
  It is our first bill as we approach the appropriations process. It is 
the first of 12 newly constituted appropriations bills that we will 
consider. It is my hope to see all 12 of these bills passed. We need to 
do our very best to avoid the scenario that has unfolded all too often 
in recent years. Come November or December, we should not have to 
resort to an omnibus bill that lumps all of these individual bills that 
we wouldn't have been able to pass into a single bill. We are going to 
do everything possible to systematically address each one of these 
bills as they come along, and then be able to pass them to avoid coming 
to what has almost become customary, and that is an omnibus process.
  It has been a decade, 10 years, not since 1995, since all 
appropriations bills were wrapped up before beginning the fiscal year. 
Over that last decade, the average was sending only 2.1 appropriations 
bills to the President for his signature before the beginning of the 
fiscal year, only 2. Actually it was 2.1, as I mentioned, 
appropriations bills.
  We need to do better. We can do better, and we will do better. We 
need to get the job done--get every bill done right and done on time. I 
am very optimistic we can do that. This year, we passed the budget, as 
I mentioned, in the fastest time in history. That budget establishes an 
overall 2006 spending ceiling for all appropriations bills. And because 
of that ceiling, because of all of us working together, and by working 
together, I am hopeful that the process will proceed smoothly. We have 
initiated that process today with the Interior Appropriations bill. As 
we considered the bill before us today, I want to leave with a special 
place I think of when I contemplate what my vote on this bill means for 
America.
  On a second issue, as we look to the appropriations bill that is 
likely and almost certain to follow the Interior Appropriations bill, I 
want to comment very briefly and introduce what we will see at the end 
of next week, and that is a comment on homeland security.
  As September 11 so tragically demonstrated, protecting our borders--
whether by air, by sea, or by land--has taken on a level of urgency and 
importance as never before. When you are talking to people at home, it 
arises again and again--it is almost the first, second, or third 
question at every town meeting we hold--border security.
  Border security is no longer just an immigration issue or a customs 
issue. Border security must be a unified and coordinated strategy to 
thwart terrorism, which is something we didn't think about prior to 
September 11 nearly as much as we do today--thwarting terrorism and 
enforcing the laws.
  Next week, we will debate the Homeland Security Appropriations bill, 
and we must include the necessary resources to meet these challenges.
  This bill will address concerns regarding insecurity of our borders, 
which we know in fact does threaten national security. It is time to 
address that issue. We will again do that next week.
  As we all know, each year thousands of people cross our borders 
illegally. The vast majority seek little more than better lives for 
their families, which we understand. But some do bring drugs. Some do 
traffic in human beings. Some may even have ties to terrorist groups. 
We don't know exactly how many come or will come. We don't know exactly 
what their backgrounds are. We don't know who might harm us. In today's 
time, that is wrong.
  We know one thing: If drug dealers and human traffickers can operate 
on our borders, terrorists can as well. Our national security requires 
a safer and more secure border, and it is up to us to deliver that.
  We face a crisis. Over 7,000 miles of land stretch across our 
borders. If you look at our ports, they handle as many as 16 million 
cargo containers; and 330 million noncitizens--students, visitors, and 
workers--cross our borders each year; 330 million noncitizens go back 
and forth across the borders. An unprecedented flow of illegal 
immigrants, criminals, terrorists, and unsecured cargo crosses our 
borders.
  As representatives of the people, we need to focus on the rule of 
law. We will be focusing on that rule of law. This Nation is founded on 
the concept that all men are created equal and all have the inalienable 
right to be free. But those freedoms are protected by our institutions 
and these institutions require respect for the rule of law.
  Those illegal immigrants who may wish us no harm have still violated 
our rule of law. We must remember this as this debate unfolds on border 
security next week.
  Finally, America has always opened our doors to immigrants. We must 
continue to do so and we will continue to do so. People come to America 
looking for a better life, and we live better lives because of them. 
They contribute to our economy. They help weave that rich cultural 
fabric that makes up our society. But we must ensure that immigrants 
who come to America come here legally.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana is recognized.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for such 
time as I may consume.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the Senator is recognized.

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