President Bush frequently invokes the memory of 9/11 to help advance his policies, from action in Iraq to tax cuts for the wealthy. Ironically, when it comes to Homeland Security spending -- something actually necessary for the prevention of further terrorist attacks -- he won't invoke the attacks and in fact is willing to shortchange key programs. USA Today's Mimi Hall reports on one such major cut.

President Bush will not ask Congress for enough money to add 2,000 agents to patrol the nation's borders in his 2006 budget, even though he signed a bill last month authorizing the increase.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Monday that Bush's new budget, to be released in early February, will propose a "good incremental increase" in the number of agents. But he made it clear the number would not approach 2,000. The new agents were to be the first hires toward doubling the size of the force over five years.

As part of a sweeping intelligence bill passed in December, Congress called for nearly doubling the size of the Border Patrol by adding 10,000 agents over five years. The agency has about 11,000 agents; 90% work along the southern border with Mexico.

But in an interview with USA TODAY, Ridge scoffed at the notion of adding so many agents and said it would be an inefficient use of precious homeland security dollars.

Putting feet on the ground to ensure terrorists cannot infiltrate the country is inefficient? That must be the same reason why the country is spending $280,000,000,000 in Iraq and Afghanistan but not nearly enough on port security.