Posted on 06/16/2006 10:41:38 AM PDT by Small-L
President Bush has refused to meet with border law-enforcement officials from Texas for a second time. His response to their request came in the form of a letter Monday, angering both lawmakers and sheriffs.
In fact, some Republican members of the House, upset by what they call the administration's seeming lack of concern for border security, are preparing to hold investigative hearings in San Diego and Laredo, Texas, early next month.
Members of the House Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation hope to expose serious security flaws that could potentially lead to terrorist attacks in the country, said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, who is a member of the panel and has pushed for the hearings.
"The next terrorist is not going to come in through (Transportation Security Administration) screening at Kennedy airport," Poe said. "We already have information that people from the Middle East have come through the border from Mexico. They assimilate in Mexico learning to speak Spanish and adopt customs and then they cross the border into the United States."
Poe requested the meeting for members of the Southwestern Sheriffs' Border Coalition a group that includes all 26 border-county sheriffs from California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. The sheriffs wanted to speak to the president about the increasing dangers in their communities and along the border.
"The president is the busiest man in the world but he needs to take the time to talk to the border sheriffs and learn what's happening in the real world from them," Poe said. "We can't understand why he refuses to meet with them."
In May, all of the Republican House members from Texas traveled to Washington to meet the president regarding border security. Bush did not meet with them, however, and former White House spokesman Scott McClellan was sent in his stead.
Poe said the White House letter dated Monday showed the disconnect between the administration and the American people who want the border secured.
"The president would appreciate the opportunity to visit with border sheriffs," said the White House letter written by La Rhonda M. Houston, deputy director of the Office of Appointments and Scheduling. "Regrettably, it will not be possible for us to arrange such a meeting. I know that you understand with the tremendous demands of the president's time, he must often miss special opportunities, as is the case this time."
Rick Glancey, spokesman for the sheriffs coalition, said its members are angry and disappointed in the president's response. Glancey said Bush's recent tour of the border with Border Patrol spokesmen did not reflect the reality of what locals live with every day.
"It's a slap in the face to the hardworking men and women on the front lines of rural America who every day engage in border-security issues," Glancey said. "He missed the opportunity to take off his White House cowboy boots and put some real cowboy boots on and walk in our shoes for a few minutes."
The border hearings will expose the truth to the American public and force the administration to take a serious look at the border, said Allan Knapp, Poe's legislative director.
Knapp and Poe have traveled twice to the border this year, spending time along barren stretches where they witnessed no security and numerous migrants crossing into the United States, they said.
"We need to expose the lack of border security before it is too late," Poe said. "We're fighting a war on terror in Iraq and we're winning, but we're losing our own border war. These hearings will be a necessary step in the right direction."
Andy Ramirez, chairman of the Chino-based Friends of the Border Patrol, said he has been called to testify before the panel in San Diego. Ramirez said he has turned in two years of Border Patrol documents and memos, which he will discuss before the committee.
"The president has basically pushed his whole administration's agenda toward the war on terror, yet he can't find the time to meet with law-enforcement leaders responsible for border security," Ramirez said. "It is appalling and outrageous that the war on terror and border security does not extend to the U.S. border."
Clearly this confirms that any of the recent moves on illegals are strictly window dressing and not serious attempts to control the border and the illegal population..
("The president is the busiest man in the world but he needs to take the time to talk to the border sheriffs and learn what's happening in the real world from them," Poe said. "We can't understand why he refuses to meet with them.")
Um, because they are beneath him? I wonder if they were the leaders of La Raza or Mecha demanding a meeting he'd clear some time?
Lots of folks want meetings with the President of the United States. Few get them. This should have been arranged far in advance of their trip to DC.
And all the recent White House hoopla over border/immigration is nothing more than a shellgame to distract the public while the WH continues to push for some form of amnesty (whatever they call it).
ping
I would think this group:
In May, all of the Republican House members from Texas traveled to Washington to meet the president regarding border security. Bush did not meet with them, however, and former White House spokesman Scott McClellan was sent in his stead.
from Bush's home state, would merit some of Bush's time.
Under current law, illegal immigrants are ineligible for Social Security benefits unless the Administration signs a totalization agreement with their country of origin which makes them eligible
Congressman Culberson said, "Unfortunately, the Administration signed a totalization agreement with Mexico on June 29, 2004, and the White House will not let Congress see it
Sadly, I must agree. The White House is using rope-a-dope tactics to cover what must be intense lobbying on individual House members.
"I would think this group:"
But, you see, The President already knows what they'll say, so what's the point of the meeting, then. [TIC]
This is the same foolishness the NAACP uses in suggesting because GWB doesn't meet with them...that he clearly doesn't support minorities, blah, blah, blah.
No he wouldn't. Which is the point. He has cabinet officers that hardly get to see him.
Maybe if they scheduled a visit with Chertoff they would have more luck.
But, he is consistant.
Do you have a link for that? I need to crack some skulls with that info.
We aren't talking about the NAACP, wer'e talking about law enforcement officials who are trying to protect the homes and people in their jurisdictions from criminal invaders.
The two are not even remotely similar.
I think he needs to come clean with the totalization agreement he signed with Mexico.
I sure do.
Culberson Amendments Adopted by House Appropriations Committee
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/webreturn/?url=http://www.culberson.house.gov
So you're comparing law enforcement officers whose job is to protect the borders against illegal aliens with the professional victim shake-down artists of the NAACP? I think several sheriffs in Texas might take exception to that.
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