"Republicans plan to use a 2006 border security law supported by more than half of Senate Democrats to fund the wall President-elect Donald Trump pledged his administration would construct, Politico reported Thursday.
The language was amended in a 2007 appropriations bill to provide the Homeland Security Department discretion to choose the nature and type of the barrier, and to require simply that 700 miles of it be established, regardless of where.
Republican lawmakers and immigration hawks once decried the changes for effectively "gutting" the original measure.
But with Trump to take office and the GOP to continue its congressional majority, the lack of constraints could empower the new White House to call for whatever kind of wall it wants, however long it wants it to be.
Many Democrats may rue the day, if only because of their pending political discomfort for supporting the 2006 legislation.
None other than Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, as well as Sens. Tom Carper, Dianne Feinstein, Bill Nelson, Debbie Stabenow, and Ron Wyden, were among the 26 Senate minority backers of the Fence Act.
..."Democrats are solidly behind controlling the border, and we support the border fence," she said, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
"We've got to get tough on the border.
There's no question the border is a sieve."
Then-Senate minority leader Harry Reid echoed her: "Democrats are for border security," he was quoted as saying plainly.
"And when the roll is called you'll find Democrats on that roll..."
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