By Alisa Reznick
Now that House Republicans have chosen a speaker, Congress is getting back to deciding on legislation and government funding. That includes a multibillion-dollar request from President Joe Biden to fund various border security efforts.
Biden's request includes more than $13 billion in funding for additional security and processing measures at the border.
The money would cover 1,300 additional Border Patrol agents and other border staffing, along with an 1,600 Citizenship and Immigration Services officers to process asylum requests, and a few hundred new immigration judges to adjudicate cases.
Additional funds would go to local aid groups working with migrants in Arizona and elsewhere, and law enforcement to focus on countering drug smuggling at the border.
In a letter following the request, Rep. Greg Stanton and other lawmakers called on congressional leadership to take up legislation reflecting that funding and bring it to a vote.