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.
To be accurate, Texans took that land from Mexico; and had their own Republic for a while before joining the rest of the US.
Do you or your family have land that may be effected by this legislation? Or is your concern for all?
Watch the History Channel in six minutes. Even better, record it. It's a two hour documentary about the Mexican-American War.
Can we have a volunteer FReeper brigade to pour cement and push steel...?
It was a great week. Bush really hit back,I.D. the Rats as cut and runners,he won all the security votes, the economy is roaring, we got 1/3 of the fence, with funding, and the Rats are losing ground every where.
Cheer up, Christmas is not very far away!
Thanks. :-)
BTW, I'm been withholding my vote on McGavick uncertain whether I wanted to risk voting for a "Republican" in a blue state. Been burned by too many that end up following McCain off the yellow brick road.
I'm in better spirits now thanks to this vote. Not just the vote, but the number that cast in the affirmative. I'm still awaiting statements from Sessions and J.D....but conditionally based on this fence he just got my vote. It's still the state where theft of Governor's offices goes forward so the odds are still against him, but it's a vote he didn't have before tonight.
There is a lot of federal, and state land along the border, there is also indian reservation. There is more private land than most realize, but everyone I personally know that owns private land on the border is more than ready for a fence.
Put not your trust, SandRat. We need to see the fine print first.
Respectfully,
SJB
Maybe they started listening.
Exactly...and welcoming it.
Or that if your obsequious open borders mindset prevailed it would not have even been brought up for a vote. You have just gotten a lesson that doing the right thing is always better than blind party loyalty (the Democrat practice).
Thanks!!
I'm amused by all the moles trying to say this is bad news.
Ah, the last laugh in November will be sweet.
This is a good start but I'm still voting based on which candidates DOES NOT support Amnesty. Any republican who wants amnesty will not get my vote. The fence is a good start.
I'd imagine that they could get 2000 ready to work volunteers in 48 hours with just one request.
"ARTICLE VIII.
The Mexican Government having on the 5th of February, 1853, authorized the early construction of a plank and railroad across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and, to secure the stable benefits of said transit way to the persons and merchandise of the citizens of Mexico and the United States, it is stipulated that neither government will interpose any obstacle to the transit of persons and merchandise of both nations; and at no time shall higher charges be made on the transit of persons and property of citizens of the United States, than may be made on the persons and property of other foreign nations, nor shall any interest in said transit way, nor in the proceeds thereof, be transferred to any foreign government.
The United States, by its agents, shall have the right to transport across the isthmus, in closed bags, the mails of the United States not intended for distribution along the line of communication; also the effects of the United States government and its citizens, which may be intended for transit, and not for distribution on the isthmus, free of custom-house or other charges by the Mexican government. Neither passports nor letters of security will be required of persons crossing the isthmus and not remaining in the country.
When the construction of the railroad shall be completed, the Mexican government agrees to open a port of entry in addition to the port of Vera Cruz, at or near the terminus of said road on the Gulf of Mexico.
The two governments will enter into arrangements for the prompt transit of troops and munitions of the United States, which that government may have occasion to send from one part of its territory to another, lying on opposite sides of the continent.
The Mexican government having e agreed to protect with its whole power the prosecution, preservation, and security of the work, the United States may extend its protection as it shall judge wise to it when it may feel sanctioned and warranted by the public or international law."
Treaties over-ride popular opinion. Sorry.
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/mexico/mx1853.htm
NAYs ---19
Chafee (R-RI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Lieberman (I-CT)
Not to worry, it's OKAY for them to vote with the socialist Dems 90% of the time, because they can WIN, you see...
Says who?....Woodward????
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