Congress will consider Thursday a $333 billion spending package that includes funding for border security and border wall construction in South Texas. The bipartisan package allocates more than $1.3 billion for the construction of border fencing in the Rio Grande Valley and protects some parts of the region.
It says none of the funds under this act, or previous acts, will be used for the construction of what the government calls “pedestrian fencing” within environmentally-sensitive areas including the National Butterfly Center, La Lomita Historical Park and the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.
The 1,159-page legislation also says the Department of Homeland Security must meet with local elected officials and reach an agreement regarding the design and alignment of any physical barriers in that specific city.
The cities included in the bill are Roma, Rio Grande City, Escobares, La Grulla and Salineno.
The deal still needs to be passed by the House and Senate and then signed by President Trump.
Reynaldo Leanos Jr. can be reached at Reynaldo@TPR.org and on Twitter at @ReynaldoLeanos