The US Senate yesterday overwhelmingly agreed to authorize construction of a fence along the US border with Mexico, sending to President George W. Bush before the November 7th elections a bill that Republicans hope will showcase their efforts to stop illegal immigration.
The Republican-written bill authorizing construction of about 700 miles (1,125 km) of fence was one of the last bills to clear Congress as lawmakers prepared to leave Washington to campaign for the congressional elections.
On a vote of 80-19 the Senate approved the bill already passed by the House of Representatives and it now goes to Bush for his signature.
Mr Bush had sought broad immigration legislation that would create a guest-worker program to help provide a steady workforce for jobs Americans are either unable or unwilling to do.
But he was unable to push it through Congress in the face of opposition from a solid group of House Republicans who pushed for tougher enforcement and border measures instead. A separate bill approved by the House and Senate on Friday provided an initial $1.2 billion in funding for the fence and other border-security measures for the fiscal year that begins October 1st.
The money is part of a $34.8 billion bill for domestic security programs for the fiscal year that begins October 1st. The money bill, as well as the fence authorization, now await Mr Bush's signature.
The broad spending bill also criminalizes the construction of tunnels that could be secret passageways from Mexico or Canada for drug smugglers, illegal aliens or terrorists. Opponents of the fence said it would be expensive and was not an effective deterrent to illegal immigration.
"This is a political gimmick," said Senator Ken Salazar, a Democrat from Colorado. "It is not in the long-term interest of of the United States of America and the Western Hemisphere."