Posted on 01/21/2015 3:43:04 PM PST by MarchonDC09122009
New GOP Border Security Bill Removes Border Fences The new border bills drafted by Republican leaders require the actual removal of at least 66 miles of weak border fencing between Mexico and the United States.
The border bills also only require for the construction of 27 miles of effective double-layer fencing along the 2,000-mile border.
“It is a remarkable that the direction of our progress is going backwards, from a goal of building 700 miles of double-layer border fencing [in 2006] to only 27 miles [in 2015],” said a Hill staffer who opposes the leaders’ bills.
“Where the double-layer fence has been put in, it has worked spectacularly. The public is with us 80, 90 percent on this issue,” he added.
Extra fencing would be a waste of money, according to Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
“The bill matches resources to needs, putting 27 more miles of fencing where fencing is needed, and technology where technology is needed,” said the statement.
“In our conversations with outside groups, experts and stakeholders, we learned that it would be an inefficient use of taxpayer money to complete the fence. … We are using that money to utilize other technology to create a secure border,” said the statement.
A House staffer said the McCaul’s bill doesn’t require a major fence because of advocacy by Heritage and Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform.
Dan Holler, communications director for Heritage Action for America, told The Daily Caller that Heritage did not recommend against fencing.
ATR has joined with wealthy advocates — such as former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg — to call for increased use of foreign workers and residency for illegal immigrants.
Senate committee staffers declined to offer any reassurances that Senators would modify the bill to fund more fencing and to block Obama’s catch-and-release policy, prior to a Senate vote in a few weeks.
“We’re going to be looking at everything,” said a committee staffer. “We can’t give any detail beyond that.”
The Senate bill is co-sponsored by Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, who co-sponsored the Senate’s 2013 immigration bill.
“We introduced the McCaul [House] bill [in the Senate] as is and plan to update and improve it as we study the issue through [House] briefings and hearings,” said the staffer, who works for the Senate’s homeland security committee. The committee is chaired by Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson.
The public strongly supports a border fence. An April 2013 poll by Rasmussen shows “that 57% of Likely U.S. Voters think the United States should continue building a border fence, while 29% disagree.” Support for the fence is much higher among the GOP-leaning voters that provided the votes for the GOP victory in November.
A 2006 law required the construction of 700 miles of double-layer fencing along the 2,000 mile border. However, Congress quietly modified the bill in 2008 to allow the construction of simple, ineffective fences in place of the required double-layer fencing.
Officials claim that just over 600 miles of the border now have obstructions, including barriers. But those barriers include lines of bollards to stop vehicles, plus single-layer “landing mat fencing” and only 36.5 miles of double-layer fencing.
The leaders’ bills call for the replacement of anti-pedestrian mat fences by anti-vehicle bollards.
The bollards will allow migrants to be driven up to the border, and then walked over to a pick-up vehicle on the U.S. side.
“Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall replace, at a minimum, each of the following: (A) Thirty-one miles of landing mat fencing with bollard style fencing in the Border Patrol’s San Diego sector. (B) Five miles of landing mat fencing with bollard style fencing in the Border Patrol’s El Centro sector. (C) Three miles of landing mat fencing with bollard style fencing in the Border Patrol’s Yuma sector. (D) Twenty-five miles of landing mat fencing with bollard style fencing in the Border Patrol’s Tucson sector. (E) Two miles of landing mat fencing with bollard style fencing in the Border Patrol’s El Paso sector,” says a section on page 12 of the House bill, HR 399.
First of all, how do you know who I voted for?
I just might have voted for a Conservative, Tea Party Republican, at least that’s what they ALL claim to be.
As retired Military, I damn well didn’t vote for someone who hates the military, not gives money to kill babies, and I damn well didn’t do that in Vietnam either...just to set that record straight.
I make no excuses for what I believe OR who I voted for but it sure as HELLfire wasn’t a damn dem. either.
I’m sick to the death of RINO’s and betrayers, and that’s ALL we’ve got in DC. And, all we are every likely to have.
First of all, how do you know who I voted for?
I just might have voted for a Conservative, Tea Party Republican, at least that’s what they ALL claim to be.
As retired Military, I damn well didn’t vote for someone who hates the military, not gives money to kill babies, and I damn well didn’t do that in Vietnam either...just to set that record straight.
I make no excuses for what I believe OR who I voted for but it sure as HELLfire wasn’t a damn dem. either.
I’m sick to the death of RINO’s and betrayers, and that’s ALL we’ve got in DC. And, all we are every likely to have.
Evil is still evil. Sounds like voters made the best choice but it still stunk. It is time for a third party. A conservative party.
You have to work extra hard to get Ted Cruz to win. But it be better if he were to move to a new party after winning. We need to take out the GOP.
Now we can see what they are doing. The tea party brought out the real GOP. I sensed this before the tea party even began. SO I was mostly against those who didn’t want a third party. our best bet is having people like Ted Cruz move on over to a new party and take on the GOP. About like UKIP
Not sure where one can go. Australia has draconian gun laws. But that was what some people suggested back in 2008-2009.
I’ll agree with that comment because there were much better choices in 2008 and 2012 in the presidential primaries and these GOP Bots went for some of the worst choices ever in candidates like Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney when we had Michelle Bachmann and Herman Cain in 2012 and Fred Thompson or Hunter Duncan in 2008.
And some of these people here were so happy about the recent big Republican win...Is the celebration over?
Some folks never did figure out they were being hoodwinked and conned, over and over and over. Year in year out.
Must be political battered voter syndrome, over and over always coming back, begging for more abuse.
I find it facinating.
We need this, we need that, they should do this, they should do that...Over and over...You got none of that.
Not going to happen...Help isn’t coming.
Government never had any intention of securing the borders or doing anything which would benefit America or Americans.
Learn it.
You can’t seriously be blaming Pat Roberts for all this? Like as if the good doctor that took him on was any better or could stop the GOP establishment had he won.
Anyone who knows how to use Google can fact check that demonstrably false argument. South Texas ranchers have formed organizations and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to do just that.
But really, who has the time, energy, or patience to continually and regularly refute your uninformed, demonstrably false pronouncements?
2000 miles of border. Vast differences in terrain and population. One size does not fit all. A secure border requires physical fencing where it makes sense, boots on the ground in large numbers, and intelligent use of surveillance and technology.
E.X.A.C.T.L.Y.
It’s amazing how uninformed some are about the issue. One solution does not work for 2000 miles of vastly different terrain. Hell, one solution does not work in the relatively small San Diego sector.
The freak show that has become the GOP must be removed completely from DC.
“Is Grover Norquist a true Muslim?
His wife is, so would think at the least, he would be a Muslim sympathizer.”
He’s a convert, I believe he’s also one of 25 directors of the NRA and has been nominated for that position again. I’ll not vote for him.
There is probably drone technology that makes the fence too expensive to implement, but they need to say that and implement it ASAP.
Good point.
However intrusion detection is just one facet of securing our border.
Let’s frame this along the line of home / commercial security.
1. Deterrent physical barrier.
2. Breach detection.
3. Immediate security response.
4. Intruder apprehension, punishment / consequences.
A fence is a physical deterrent which discourages entry. It can be breached, no doubt. However, it becomes a platform for detection, too: seismic, acoustical, light laser beam, electrical disturbances to a physical fence provides immediate alarm and location of entry breach.
A drone hovering overhead is somewhat of a deterrent. However it can’t be everywhere and may have visual coverage lapse at night, or during cloudy / rainy days.
This 2015 border security plan does not address the need for adequately manning the border to provide deterrence and timely intervention to apprehend intruders.
The border patrol has been warning us that they are out manned, and have been often instructed to stand down during a breach.
Finally, punishment, ie: imprisonment and prompt deportation is not part of this new secure border bill. Obola and Holder have significantly curtailed border enforcement and illegal immigrant prosecutions.
Our US gov’t under the direction of republi-c rats, has made it clear they want this continued border illegal immigration crisis to continue, no matter the risk and damage to our country’s economy and culture.
Drones will hardly address the border immigration crisis.
Considering you got caught cold posting ‘information’ about fences from a LaRaza linked website barely 6 months ago, you probably aren’t an unbiased source for ANYTHING having to do with this issue. You already proved you will go to Democrat lengths to ensure a fence isn’t built or supported.
Tell us all again how the San Diego fence was a failure. That was truly entertaining.
The estimates are that 40% of the illegal aliens in the U.S. are people who came here legally on tourist, student, work or family visas but who never left: “visa overstayers.”
Thanks for the important detail.
So much for a Dept of Homeland inSecurity, ICE, and State Dept that refuses to do the job they’re legally chartered to do, all because of Obola, the marxist muslim illegal White House occupant.
I guess it kinda figures...
I did not cite anything from LaRaza and would never do so knowingly. I cited an article from No Border Wall, which is not affiliated with LaRaza.
Additionally, I posted a graphic from the NYT, which cited Border Patrol figures (taken directly from U.S. Border Patrol reports) on illegal alien apprehensions in each of the southern patrol sectors. The data says that apprehensions went up not down in the San Diego sector and it was the only one to do so.
I’ve corrected you on that LaRaza claim multiple times. Stop lying about it.
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