Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter from San Diego has revived his call to fence off more than 800 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. Hunter's fence provision is included in a new border security bill which the House is scheduled to vote on today. KPBS Reporter Amy Isackson has the story.
It's the same fence provision the House passed in its enforcement-only immigration bill last year. But that bill is stalled, along with a competing Senate version that calls for a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the United States and a guest worker program. The two chambers have been unable to reconcile their very different approaches to immigration reform.
Hunter says immigration has nothing to do with his proposal.
Hunter: After 9/11, the fence itself became a national security issue. America must know who is coming across its border and you can only do that with by having a fence, having roads, having lights.
Critics say Republicans want to look tough on immigration in advance of November's election.
Hunter says the fence would cost about $6 billion. Amy Isackson, KPBS News.
