Talk to the
;^)
Posted on 09/29/2006 7:40:28 PM PDT by The Spirit Of Allegiance
Edited on 09/29/2006 7:52:46 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
The House version of the bill approving and funding the building of a U.S./Mexico border wall has overwhelmingly passed the Senate, according to KFI News.
Link to station provided.
UPDATE: Senate backs fence along Mexico border
Reuters
By Donna Smith and Richard Cowan
The U.S. Senate on Friday overwhelmingly agreed to authorize construction of a fence along the U.S. border with Mexico, sending to President George W. Bush before the November 7 elections a bill that Republicans hope will showcase their efforts to stop illegal immigration.
The Republican-written bill authorizing construction of about 700 miles of fence was one of the last bills to clear Congress as lawmakers prepared to leave Washington to campaign for the congressional elections. On a vote of 80-19 the Senate approved the bill already passed by the House of Representatives and it now goes to Bush for his signature.
Bush had sought broad immigration legislation that would create a guest-worker program to help provide a steady workforce for jobs Americans are either unable or unwilling to do. But he was unable to marshal support for it in the face of opposition from a solid group of House Republicans who pushed for tougher enforcement and border measures instead.
A separate bill approved by the House on Friday provided an initial $1.2 billion in funding for the fence and other border-security measures for the fiscal year that begins Oct 1. The money is part of a $34.8 billion bill for domestic security programs for the fiscal year that begins October 1.
The broad spending bill also criminalizes the construction of tunnels that could be secret passageways from Mexico or Canada for drug smugglers, illegal aliens or terrorists.
The Senate was expected to pass the funding bill quickly and send it on to Bush along with the fence authorization.
Opponents of the fence said it would be expensive and was not an effective deterrent to illegal immigration.
"This is a political gimmick," said Sen. Ken Salazar, a Democrat from Colorado. "It is not in the long-term interest of of the United States of America and the Western Hemisphere."
The government of Mexico on Thursday issued a statement expressing "its profound concern" with the fence. The statement, translated from Spanish, said such measures "are contrary to the spirit of cooperation that should prevail to guarantee security in the common border."
IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL
Backers of the fence said it was an important tool to clamp down against illegal immigration. An estimated 1.2 million illegal immigrants were arrested in the last fiscal year trying to cross into the United States along the border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Sections of the fence would be built in each state.
"Fortifying our borders is the first prong of comprehensive immigration reform and it's an integral piece of national security," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican.
Lawmakers and analysts say Congress could tackle comprehensive immigration legislation in a post-election sessions, but they acknowledge difficulties.
"It will be tough but doable," said Rep. Adam Putnam (news, bio, voting record), a Florida Republican.
"There is a lot of pent up pressure and interest in doing something in the lame duck session," said Craig Regelbrugge of the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform.
Democrats accused the Republican majority of playing politics with the fence bill after raising immigration as an election-year issue but having little to show in the way of legislation.
"This is about November. This is about incumbent protection, not about border protection," said Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
Earlier this year the Senate passed broad immigration legislation that combined border security and employer sanctions with a plan to create a guest-worker program and provide a path to citizenship for many of the 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.
The Senate and House were unable to compromise and instead resorted to passing a series narrow border security measures.
Well, we're definitely winning.
But, that's no excuse for any of us to let up on the pressure one bit. There is still the little matter of getting it built, PLUS the consideration that they are only building on approximately one third of the southern border at best...plus INTERIOR ENFORCEMENT.
And, of course, stopping them from legalizing twenty or thirty million gatecrashers....
"Not Voting - 1
Kennedy (D-MA"
Must have been "Happy Hour"
Americans Lose $68 Billion to Illegals in 2002 or $136 billion with other factors
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1350227/posts
Spend it... and NOW...
Even Boxer and Feinstein voted for it.
Amazing.
I think not.
In America, we call that "the consent of the governed."
How about providing "liberty" and "democracy" to oppressed people? If the economic issues can not be worked out, why do you have a problem with projecting the power of the USA into Mexico? Oh, that is correct. Mexico and Saudi Arabia are our friends and we can NEVER threaten them or imply that their governments are abject failures. Gotcha.
Teddy's ALWAYS "happy"...
Oops, sorry for the repeat :-(
Yes!
I think overthrow of the corrupt Mexican Government is a good reason to go to war, but it will never happen. OTOH, War for a tiny strip is land is silly.
No comment... just no comment.
Why? Are you so sacred because of the Florida gay congressman who resigned today? So what, what is the worst thing it will happen, lose his seat for a democrat, and then what. The democrats are still far from controlling the House, do not underestimate how difficult for them to win 15 seats to get a majority in the House, it is very difficult.
The fence will not be dead even if the democrats win both chambers of congress, but they are not going to win any.
Not Voting - Kennedy (D-MA). Red Ted doesn't let anything interfere with Friday night happy hour.
So what is the rub, you may ask? Why on Gods green earth would these obstinate Texans take issue with such a "noble cause"? I could really care less about the unfortunate SOB's in "those areas", other than the concept that they are fellow US citizens. Trash me all you desire. I do understand the history of the Republic of Texas. And many come here demanding a Democracy.
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