Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today reported that Congress has given final approval to legislation that contains funding for border security. 

The measure, which is now headed to the White House, contains $250 million to combat violence and drug trafficking, of which $140 million is for the Department of Homeland Security to hire additional law enforcement and intelligence personnel, and to pay overtime for those already working along the border. 

The Supplemental Appropriations Bill, which in part funds ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, also contains $100 million to allow the Department of Justice to hire agents and investigators to apprehend violent fugitives and drug traffickers, and to upgrade technology to facilitate cooperation with Mexican authorities. 

“This funding will help us build on the progress we’re already making to improve security in the border region,” Bingaman said.  

In response to escalating drug cartel violence in Mexico and its affect on the border region, Bingaman last winter secured $15 million to expand Project Gunrunner, an Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) initiative that seeks to stem the flow of guns from the United States to Mexico.  He also helped secure $30 million in grant funding for border law enforcement agencies to ensure they have the tools they need to fight crime. 

In addition to border security funding, the bill contains $252 million for 3 MC-130J Air Force Specials Operations aircraft; one will go to Cannon Air Force Base and another to Kirtland Air Force Base.

“These new aircraft will be used for important training operations at Cannon and Kirtland,” Bingaman said.  

Bingaman also reported that the emergency spending bill also contains $30 million for the National Nuclear Security Administration labs to sustain a nuclear weapons intelligence program to understand the advances in nuclear weapons by other countries.  Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory are two of the main participants in this program.  There is $55 million to help secure nuclear materials in Russia which Sandia has been participants in but not all to Sandia.

Finally, Bingaman said he is pleased supp has $40 million for Trade Adjustment Assistance for Communities.  TAA for Communities will aid cities and towns hurt by trade by providing them with economic analysis and advice, help with formulating a recovery plan, and assistance in carrying out the plan.  Bingaman wrote the initial legislation creating TAA for Communities in 2002, and pressed to include the idea in the economic recovery package.