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Sunday, November 30, 2014

Cotton sees securing U.S.-Mexico border as a top priority

Cotton sees securing U.S.-Mexico border as a top priority

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By JENNIFER SHUTT | 11/30/2014 12:13 PM EST | Updated: 11/30/2014 12:16 PM EST

Rep. Tom Cotton, who'll be sworn in as the youngest member of the Senate in January, says securing the U.S.-Mexico border is a top priority for him and other Republicans.

In an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," the Arkansas congressman said the House will decide the best way to "proceed on a tactical measure" once it returns this week from the long Thanksgiving holiday, and how that would impact government spending remains to be seen.

One possibility is to move a spending bill through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, isolating items that have to do with immigration. But there are other options.

"What we might also do is pass a short-term spending measure to let a new and accountable Congress, not a lame-duck Congress, make the decision," Cotton said.

The congressman says he plans to consult with fellow Republicans in the House and Senate, but he's "reluctant to cede the spending power that Congress has under the Constitution."

If an immigration bill is pushed by congressional Republicans, Cotton said he hopes the construction of a more border fencing and fixes to internal enforcement will be central to its passage

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