Posted on 05/15/2006 7:42:23 PM PDT by JerseyHighlander
Bush Budget Scraps 9,790 Border Patrol Agents Houston Chronicle
President uses law's escape clause to drop funding for new homeland security force. Washington -- The law signed by President Bush less than two months ago to add thousands of border patrol agents along the U.S.-Mexico border has crashed into the reality of Bush's austere federal budget proposal, officials said Tuesday.
Officially approved by Bush on Dec. 17 after extensive bickering in Congress, the National Intelligence Reform Act included the requirement to add 10,000 border patrol agents in the five years beginning with 2006. Roughly 80 percent of the agents were to patrol the southern U.S. border from Texas to California, along which thousands of people cross into the United States illegally every year.
But Bush's proposed 2006 budget, revealed Monday, funds only 210 new border agents.
The shrunken increase reflects the lack of money for an army of border guards and the capacity to train them, officials said.
Retired Adm. James Loy, acting head of the Department of Homeland Security until nominee Michael Chertoff takes over, said funding only 210 new agents was a "recognition that we need to balance those things as we go on down the road with other priorities."
The White House referred questions about the border agents to the Homeland Security Department.
The law signed by Bush had a caveat that went virtually unreported at the time. A summary, published by the Senate Government Affairs Committee, required the government to increase the number of border patrol agents by at least 2,000 per year, "subject to available appropriations."
Democrats were unhappy that the proposed budget used the escape clause so soon after the president approved the huge boost in border agents.
"We know we must do more to shore up security along our borders," said Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, top Democrat on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. "The president's budget does not even attempt to meet this challenge."
Some Republicans also were displeased.
"This is an area of homeland security that needs to be ramped up in order to increase surveillance and patrols of our nation's vast and often remote borders," said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
A Jan. 24 letter signed by leading Republican lawmakers implored the president to fully fund the new law "in order to secure our borders against infiltration by terrorists."
The lead signer was Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and a leader of GOP efforts to toughen immigration laws and anti-terrorism statutes.
Anyone want to bring these immediately available facts into the discussion?
Susan Collins is to the right of Lyndon Baines Bush.
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
Are the facts reported in this article at odds with what he said tonight?
Talk is cheap.
He bragged about all the agents he’s put on the border since he took office.
LOL
It’s like Clinton bragging about reforming welfare or cutting farm subsidies.
I object, the OBL can't deal with facts its unfair to them.
"He bragged about all the agents he’s put on the border since he took office."
Actually he didn't say that - exactly. He talked about an increase in BP staff, not that they were posted to the Mexican border.
They also do port inspections and such. I think most were slotted for that.
So, 6000 new agents will approzimately cost us somewhere near $394 million(plus inflation) per year. California alones spends more than that for medical and education for illegal immigrants every 3 months.
All those pork projects the Senate passes into law, yet they can't ween themselves off the lobbyists of cheap labor to secure the border. And Bush went out there tonight and insulted the intelligence of the average person, American, Mexican, human, everyone, with that magically appearing Federal bureaucracy and sham NG deployment speech.
I didn't say the Mexican border. Ports are the border too.
I'm not criticizing you at all. I think many people who don't follow this closely would have felt Bush was telling them today those new agents were sent to the Mexican border, the port of entry we naturally think of first.
Daddy Bush was a turn-off, sonny's not much better...
"But Bush's proposed 2006 budget, revealed Monday, funds only 210 new border agents."
Nuff said!
and I will keep on this issue until I see green Six-Bys with a white star on the door loaded with troops rolling southbound down the Five Freeway!
Where's my wall, Mr. President?
How correct you are. The President's Republican handlers have told him that conservatives are PISSED and planning on staying home in November 2006 or voting 3rd party. This is a lame attempt to keep the conservative base in line and try to sucker them into voting for Republicans yet again this fall. Rumor has it that the Constitutional Marriage Amendment (which never has a chance of ratification) is also going to be resurrected this summer.
I can't wait to see the Bushbot cheerleaders then.
bttt
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
