Posted on 01/14/2008 7:08:19 AM PST by flattorney
BROWNSVILLE — Some conservatives are labeling U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison a traitor after she slipped an amendment into the federal budget bill passed last month that some say effectively kills the border fence. The conservative radio world and blogosphere has been buzzing with outcry that the amendment — which removed the requirement under the Secure Fence Act for a double-layered fence and gave Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff flexibility in its placement — did just that. Nationally syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin decried the "incredible shrinking border fence." Others called Hutchison "Benedict Arnold" and said the Texas Republican used the "cover of Christmas" to ram the measure through.
Hutchison says there's a lot of misinformation out there. "Border patrol agents reported that coyotes and drug-runners were altering their routes as fencing was deployed, so the amendment gives our agents discretion to locate the fence where necessary to achieve operational control of our border," she said. Customs and Border Protection said it is committed to building the fence and this week announced plans to take legal action against 102 border landowners, including 71 in Texas who were not letting federal workers on their land to survey the areas.
Spokeswoman Laura Keehner said landowners had gotten warning letters in December. She said landowners who did not receive letters, such as those in the tiny Hidalgo County town of Granjeno — where officials feared an early fence proposal would split the town in half — could assume their land was not being considered for the fence at this time.
The amendment was part of the omnibus spending bill Congress approved Dec. 19 and President Bush signed Dec. 26. The section under contention reads: "... nothing in this paragraph shall require the Secretary of Homeland Security to install fencing, physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras and sensors in a particular location along an international border of the United States, if the Secretary determines that the use or placement of such resources is not the most appropriate means to achieve and maintain operational control over the international border at such location." It superseded the original language, which called for double-layered fencing in specific places.
"We don't appreciate the way it was put through," said Ron De Jong of Grassfire.org. "It was done behind the scenes, it was done last minute, it wasn't done in front of the people," De Jong said. "I personally take offense to it and I think most Americans who want our borders secure take offense to it." New York Rep. Peter King, author of the Secure Fence Act signed in October 2006, said the amendment was "either a blatant oversight or a deliberate attempt to disregard the border security of our country." "As it's written, the omnibus language guts the Secure Fence Act almost entirely," he said. Rep. Duncan Hunter, a San Diego, Calif., Republican, said the amendment made the fence symbolic at best.
Hunter spokesman Joe Kasper said the double fencing would force illegal border crossers to scale two barriers, with a roadway in the middle that allowed the Border Patrol to nab them. Fence supporters, meanwhile, feel the Department of Homeland Security has gradually been reneging on the plan, with initial plans for 854 miles of double-layered fencing in five locations whittled to 370 miles of what may be single-layered fencing, Kasper said. Almost two years after the bill passed, only 5.2 miles more of double-layer fence has been built, in Arizona, with 70 more miles single-layered, he said. "What we've seen so far to date is an agency that is not entirely supportive of the border fencing initiative," Kasper said. "At a time when our southern border is on fire, it doesn't make sense to limit the authority or limit our ability to enforce immigration laws."
Hutchison's chief of staff, Marc Short, said the outcry was unfair. Hutchison's amendment was introduced in May and unanimously passed the Senate three separate times, he said. "CBP said they needed more flexibility, that one size doesn't fit all," Short said. "Hunter was elected to represent San Diego. Sen. Hutchison has to represent Texas." Unlike other border states, much of the land on the Texas border is privately owned. Local business leaders and politicians were incensed to learn in May that a map was already circulating showing a fence that could cut farmers from water, wildlife from habitat and cities from the river. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, said Hutchison wrote a good amendment that will allow environmental and property right concerns in border communities to be considered. "It gives flexibility to the secretary to look at alternative means," he said. (Highly corrupt and worthless Democrat - FlA)
Texas landowners just see themselves in the middle. In Granjeno, residents say they have not gotten any threatening letters and are hopeful the government has decided not to cut through their town. Landowner Eloisa Garcia Tamez, a professor at the University of Texas at Brownsville, said she'll fight to the end to keep the government off the last of her ancestors' 1767 land grant. "The value of the land is only to me," she said. "In other words, it's not for sale."
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12.26.07 Op-Ed: Border Fence Disgrace: The ink has barely dried on the 2006 Secure Fence Act -- mandating two layers of reinforced fencing along the near defenseless border with Mexico and listing five specific sections where it is to be installed -- and already bipartisan Beltway sabotage threatens to make the fence less secure. Congress passed the $555 billion spending bill Wednesday last that will fund most of the federal government while removing the act's two-tier requirement and the list of locations. President Bush says he'll sign the bill. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, has been shamelessly working to undermine the 2006 law. Hutchison rationalized her efforts: She wants to give the Department of Homeland Security more flexibility and wanted local officials and landowners to be consulted. The gutting of the defense fence was buried deep in the 3,500-page bill. So much for consulting with anyone. Homeland Security says there will be enough money to finish 370 miles of fencing and 200 miles of vehicle barriers by next year. The porous border is almost 2,000 miles long with precious little adequate protection. And yet there's plenty of money for the nearly 9,000 earmarks for lawmakers' pet pork projects. Members of Congress who care more about protecting their own turf than America's are an abject disgrace.
Posted for FlAttorney by TAB
01.12.08: Despite Congress' rejection of a billion-dollar funding increase for NASA next year, Texas lawmakers haven't given up the fight to increase the agency's budget. In a tour of the development lab for the Orion crew exploration vehicle at the Johnson Space Center, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Texas, called for an additional $2 billion to speed up construction of the Orion and the Ares rocket system to launch it into space.
12.18.07 FlAttorney says: The SFA was gutted by ignorant fool Texas U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison(R). Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn(R) was a sponsor of RINO Kay’s totally irresponsible amendment that she inserted into the approved $555 billion Omnibus Spending Bill at the last minute. This was the fifth time RINO Kay tried to gut the SFA. This time she was successful hiding it in this huge “both sides of the aisle” pork-fest bill. Her and Cornyn’s action were of no surprise. Texas is a pro-illegal aliens State with it’s chief shepherd being Republican Governor Rick Perry. My born and raised city of Houston, Texas has been a illegal aliens “sanctuary city” since 1992. The on-going influx of illegals into Houston is out of control.
Didn’t Cornyn conspire with bimbette?
What a surprise! She has always been a RINO so what else would one expect.
“The on-going influx of illegals into Houston is out of control.”
About five years ago, we were trying to find a friend’s house in Houston. We stopped at four different convenience stores before we found someone who spoke enough English to help us.
It has only gotten worse since then, and the riff-raff that came in from NO after Katrina didn’t help the quality of life at all. Houston is looking more and more like LA, not a compliment.
Hunter is against her. That’s good enough for me.
Thanks for the post. Hutchison’s actions really make me sick and disgusted.
Our senators from Texas are trying to talk a good game on the immigration issue, but are sadly in the open borders camp. They still have a chance to correct their errors, and I hope they will. We need “change.”
Worse. Wow, that would be a tough row to hoe.
It’s utterly disgraceful. Thank you, RINOs, for killing both the Republican Party and this nation’s sovereignty. You traitors-for-hire had better remember who put you in office and who can vote your sorry behinds out.
The electorate of Texas are sick and tired of being jerked around by RINO’s who place more value on the Mexican governments wishes than on the citizens of the Republic of Texas.
In the next Senate election, Texas conservatives need to nominate a primary opponent for this vile, corrupt, treacherous woman. She needs to be run out of the Senate at the next election. She, like her friend the corrupt federal prosecutor Sutton, has opted to put the interests of foreign drug smugglers and people traffickers before the safety and security of Americans.
This is just so much liberal speak for giving an excuse to not build it.
Of course the criminal entrants alter their routes as the fence is built...AWAY FROM THE FENCE! So, you build it along the entire border just like many have proposed for years...and which the legislation was meant to make GREAT strides towards, something the libs and RINOS have opposed all along. Now they are gutting it.
I agree, but this kind of conflict will continue until the main supporters of the NAU are exposed and removed from power. The elected officials are marching to their tune and if one RINO is thrown out, they will simply put in another one.
Cornyn went out of his way to “explain” Hutchison’s actions here. The latest interview I heard with him had him explaining that her amendment was necessary in order to have “local” control. Both have been in Washington so long that they think that Michael Chertoff is a local.
“Both have been in Washington so long that they think that Michael Chertoff is a local”.
ROFL
Kay baily Hutchinson is a traitor. She should be tried as such. Her family deserves to be deported.
“incredible shrinking border fence.”....I’m buying cement and a shovel and will personally start the wall by building 20 feet....anyone else want to show up and build the next 20 feet?....It’ll never get done by these damn politicians!
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