DHS Appropriations Bill Changes Related to RINO Kolbe's anti-Checkpoint Language

10 October 2005 | Spiff

[Spiff]

Since 1999, RINO Rep. Jim Kolbe of Arizona's 8th District has added to "must pass" national security appropriations bills language which shuts down all permanent Border Patrol checkpoints in his district only. He's done this despite the fact that the Border Patrol insists that these checkpoints are key tools in their border security arsenal. He's done this despite that fact that the GAO has released a report that says that shutting down the checkpoints has reduced Border Patrol effectiveness in the Tucson sector by 77%. He's done this, ignoring the outrage of his constituents who live along the border who want the border to be properly secured and who want the Border Patrol supported, not restricted. The Border Patrol union in Kolbe's district has come right out and said that Kolbe's meddling "endangers" Border Patrol agents.

When the Border Patrol has attempted to find a way around this restrictive language which limits their operations and reduces their effectiveness, Kolbe has added additional language to the appropriations bills and has even angrily threatened to use his House Appropriations Committee position to reduce their funding and take actions which would "sting" (Kolbe's exact word) the Border Patrol.

In May, the House passed HR 2360 - The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2006. That bill again included Kolbe's ridiculous restrictions upon the Border Patrol in Kolbe's district. The exact wording is:

Provided further, That no funds shall be available for the site acquisition, design, or construction of any Border Patrol checkpoint in the Tucson sector: Provided further, That the Border Patrol shall relocate its checkpoints in the Tucson sector at least once every seven days in a manner designed to prevent persons subject to inspection from predicting the location of any such checkpoint.

Note that no other permanent checkpoints ANYWHERE are prohibited. Only those in Kolbe's district.

This or similar language has been included in similar legislation since 1999:

HR 2555 - Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2005

Provided further, That no funds shall be available for the site acquisition, design, or construction of any Border Patrol checkpoint in the Tucson sector : Provided further, That the Border Patrol shall relocate its checkpoints in the Tucson sector at least once every 7 days in a manner designed to prevent persons subject to inspection from predicting the location of any such checkpoint.

HR 4567 - Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2005

Provided further, That none of the funds appropriated in this Act may be obligated to construct permanent Border Patrol checkpoints in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Tucson sector : Provided further, That the Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, is directed to submit to the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives a plan for expenditure that includes location, design, costs, and benefits of each proposed Tucson sector permanent checkpoint: Provided further, That U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall relocate its tactical checkpoints in the Tucson sector at least an average of once every 14 days in a manner designed to prevent persons subject to inspection from predicting the location of any such checkpoint.

HR 2500 - Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002

Provided, That no funds shall be available for the site acquisition, design, or construction of any Border Patrol checkpoint in the Tucson sector

HR 4690 - Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001

Provided, That no funds shall be available for the site acquisition, design, or construction of any Border Patrol checkpoint in the Tucson sector .

HR 2670 - Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000

Provided, That no funds shall be available for the site acquisition, design, or construction of any Border Patrol checkpoint in the Tucson sector .

It appears that there was an attempt to strike that and other language from next year's DHS appropriations bill. If you look at the original version of the bill, and that which was passed in the House, it contains the language. However, if you look at the version voted on by the House on 6 October, it includes the language, but the one voted on in the Senate on the 8th of October does not include that language and whole sections have been struck out. Go HERE to see all versions of the HR 2360. Yet, when you look at the final version of the bill as passed by both the House and the Senate, Kolbe's restrictions on the Border Patrol's security measures have returned.

This not only demonstrates Kolbe's continued meddling to undermine the Border Patrol's effectiveness in the sector that sees the most border intrusions, it also demonstrates the political maneuverings likely engineered by Kolbe to keep his language in the "must pass" appropriations bills.

Further, it demonstrates that it is time for Kolbe to find another career as he no longer represents the people of his district nor is he committed to securing our nation.

[Ben Ficklin]

With 20 million illegals in the country, your checkpoints seem to be letting a few slip by.

[HiJinx]

With 20 million illegals in the country, your checkpoints seem to be letting a few slip by.

Talk about non-sequiturs.

Tell ya what, you go ahead and be the expert on Texas, and you let Spiff and I be the experts on Cochise County, ok? No one of us should be trying to be otherwise.

[Ben Ficklin]

I don't mean to be disrespectful, but can't you see how silly you sound?

If we could just get Prop 200 passed they would all leave.

If we could just get a permanent checkpoint, we could catch them all.

If we could just get Graf elected, he would stop them.

[HiJinx]

Silly? I don't believe I've ever said that one measure will be the do-all, end-all for illegal immigration. In fact, I usually suggest multi-faceted solutions to the problem.

For example, check my tagline. There're two facets right there.

I also support employer santions. There's a third.

[Spiff]

You even admit in your reply #9 that Kolbe's constituents have a problem with bypassing illegals but you discount it by calling them "fat cat doners"

I said, and I quote, "fat cat developers and donors". The misspelling is entirely yours, Einstein.

I also never said they had a problem with illegals bypassing the checkpoints, you made that up completely. The problem that the fat cat developers have is that they'll sell people on a piece of land and a new home in the Green Valley area, but when those people travel north and have to go through a checkpoint they start asking questions. Questions like, "Is there a problem with illegal aliens around here? Isn't the border secure? Do they make it this far north?" and such and many will back out of the deal once they're fully informed about the awful situation here. The checkpoints make it very difficult for the developers to sweep the problem under the rug - and difficult for Kolbe to keep the problem away from the public eye. The fact that he's "served" in Congress for 20 years and in that time his district has become the worst along the border for border intrusion problems is hard for him to cover up if he's got permanently manned checkpoints throughout his district.