Senate Suspends Recess, Passes Border Bill And Stevens Resolution

Suspending the August recess Thursday, the Senate passed a $600 million bill aimed at bolstering border security, as well as a resolution honoring former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, who died this week in a plane crash.

Both measures were passed with unanimous consent by the two Senators in the chamber, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) decision to hold the mid-recess session followed a similar act by the lower-chamber earlier in the week. The House reconvened Monday to pass a $26 billion piece of legislation to provide federal aid to states in an effort to prevent lay-offs among teachers and other government employees.

The border security bill passed Thursday will fund the placement of an additional 1,500 enforcement officials at the U.S.-Mexico border and the implementation of additional surveillance drones.

With the completion of the vote, the Senate will be on recess until September 13th.