This week, the House passed H.R. 4890, the Legislative Line Item Veto Act, by a vote of 247 to 172. Pursuant to the Supreme Court’s ruling that the line-item veto enacted a decade ago was unconstitutional, this bill seeks to achieve the goal of creating a new tool for cutting wasteful spending in a way that is consistent with the constitutional separation of powers.

The House also passed H.R. 5631, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2007, by a margin of 407 to 19.

Border Crossings Down

It takes getting serious about the problem of illegal immigration to truly fix it. The number of detentions of illegal aliens attempting to sneak across the southern border dropped by 21 percent in the first ten days of June compared to the same period last year. The steep decline in human smuggling is attributed to the arrival of the U.S. Army National Guard on the border. Even though only a relative handful of troops have been deployed so far, and even then just in support roles, it seems that merely the announcement of placing military personnel on the border has caused would-be illegal aliens to think twice about taking their chances on a border run. Reporting by the Mexican media has served to amplify the fear of apprehension by U.S. troops. Anecdotal evidence further suggests that the ramped up debate about the issue has encouraged some who were already residing here illegally to return to their homelands.

What this data demonstrates is that securing our borders, while costly and labor-intensive, is possible. Part of the battle is mustering the political will to make the effort. Then, we must convince the rest of the world that we are serious about the task. While I am encouraged by the initial results of President Bush’s action, I am also committed to establishing a more permanent solution – one that doesn’t include amnesty for those who are already here illegally.

Holding Our Ground

Late last week, the House voted 256 to 153 to approve a non-binding resolution which acknowledges Iraq as a central front in the war on terror and asserts that “it is not in the national security interest of the United States to set an arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment” of troops. Holding our ground during the central struggle of our time is essential. A permanent, democratically-elected government is finally in place in Iraq. The Iraqi military is taking on an increasingly active role in responding to the assemblage of thugs that still murder Iraqi civilians. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been cut down, and papers recovered at the site of his death confirm that the terrorists are on their heels in this struggle. Deciding to cut and run before ensuring stability throughout the transition to Iraqi self-sufficiency would be disastrous.

Yet the minority party in Congress has demonstrated nothing but confusion regarding this fundamental issue. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi declared, “We don’t even have a party position on the war.” In the Senate, Sen. Mitch McConnell forced a vote on Sen. John Kerry’s troop withdrawal resolution. It went down 93 to 6. And yesterday, in an 86-13 vote, the Senate rejected a proposal from the Cut-and-Run Caucus that would require the administration to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq by July 1, 2007.

At a time when our forces are achieving real progress, Congress should remain focused on ensuring that they have sufficient equipment, training, and other resources while deployed, and the benefits they deserve upon returning from service.

Levee Progress

Last week, President Bush signed a $94.5 billion emergency spending bill to fund hurricane relief and the war effort that includes $30.4 million for Sacramento flood protection and levee repairs. This includes $23.3 million for 29 levee sites that flood control officials have identified as high risk. Last month, the state and federal governments agreed to permit expedited environmental reviews so those projects can be completed by November 1, 2006. This is an important step toward protecting the flood-prone Sacramento area.