Capital Briefs

* AUTHORIZING BORDER PATROL: The Republican House passed a Homeland security authorization bill on May 18 that approves 2,000 new Border Patrol agents for next year, the same number authorized by the law responding to the 9/11 Commission enacted in December.

However, President Bush's budget calls for funding only 210 new Border Patrol agents, and it remains to be seen what number will ultimately get funded. Republicans in the House, at least, are taking an aggressive stand on border security. The day before passing the Homeland security authorization for the 2,000 new agents, the House passed a Homeland security appropriation to fund 1,000 new agents. Because another 500 new agents were funded in the supplemental spending bill that passed Congress earlier this month, that brings the total number of new Border Patrol agents funded by the House for next year to 1,500.

* MINUTEMAN II: Meanwhile, a California-based citizens group called Friends of the Border Patrol (FBP) has announced it will team up with the Minuteman Project to patrol a section of the U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego this August.

Andy Ramirez, the group's chairman, told Jerry Seper of the Washington Times that FBP has already signed up 500 volunteers for the project, including former Border Patrol agents, and retired police and military. When the Minuteman Project posted a 30-day watch on a stretch of the Arizona border last month, Border Patrol apprehensions of illegal aliens in that region dropped from about 500 a day to 15, indicating the Minutemen did something the federal government has so far failed to do: Deter illegal immigration.

* ANSWERING ARNOLD'S CALL? In late April, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California had praised the Minutemen's Arizona efforts during an appearance on 'The John & Ken Show" on KFI radio in Los Angeles. Schwarzenegger said the Minutemen "have done a terrific job, and look, they've cut down the crossing of illegal immigrants by a huge percentage."

After the "Governator" was attacked by California's rabidly liberal press for these remarks, he clarified the next day that he is "a champion of immigrants." But, he added, in reference to the Minutemen: "When the government... doesn't do its job, then the private citizens go out. It's like neighborhood patrol." According to an April 30 report in the San Francisco Chronicle, an aide to Schwarzenegger "said they [the Minutemen] are welcome to operate in California."

* BUSH'S FIRSTVETO? The White House insisted last week that President Bush would accept a highway bill that cost no more than $283.9 billion, despite the Senate's passage of a $295-billion plan. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said it's important for Congress to send Bush legislation that meets the country's transportation needs but also holds down spending. When McClellan was asked if the President was still threatening a veto and what was the cut-off figure for signing a highway bill, McClellan replied: "Yes. $283.9 billion."

The White House has backed down before on a veto threat. In July 2003, the administration was considering a veto of an appropriations bill if Congress removed communications rules that permitted television networks to own more stations. Even though the House voted to strip the ownership rules from the bill, Bush signed it anyway.

* PERSONAL PROTECTION: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R.-Tex.) introduced legislation last Thursday that reverses the District of Columbia's 28-year ban on handguns. The bill won passage in the House last year on a 250-to-171 vote, but failed to win approval of the Senate.

Hutchison, along with Republican Senators George Alien (Va.) and John Cornyn (Tex.), are pressing the GOP leadership for action. "Residents of our nation's capital are at the mercy of criminals-even in their homes," Hutchison said. The District bans all handguns that weren't registered before 1977. The law is so burdensome that it prohibits lawful gun owners from keeping a loaded firearm in their home for self-defense. The gun ban also has done nothing to reduce crime. While the national crime rate has dropped, the District's soared 72% from 1976 to 2001.

* ABSOLUTE CHAFEE: Liberal Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island told HUMAN EVENTS' John Gizzi last Thursday that he will indeed vote to confirm John Bolton as ambassador to the UN. Gizzi spotted the senator arriving at the Dubliner, a Capitol Hill restaurant, and asked if he would support the embattled nominee on the floor. "Absolutely," Chafee declared, putting to rest fears that the Republican might abandon the President's nominee now that he has been voted out of committee.

Bolton still faces a hurdle thrown up by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D.-Calif.), who placed a hold on his nomination, complaining she doesn't yet have enough information about him. One way or the other, Bolton will have to wait until a resolution is reached on the President's judicial nominees, Chafee told Gizzi.

* HOSANNASTO SAAD: As conservative groups called for an Ethics Committee investigation of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) for suggesting there was negative information in appellate court nominee Henry Saad's confidential FBI file (see Page 3), supporters of the Michigan Court of Appeals judge rallied to his defense. Among those who endorsed Saad are former United Auto Workers President Steve Yokich and former Detroit Mayor Roman Gribbs, a self-described "lifelong Democrat" who served with Saad on the Michigan appeals court.