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.
Bush, Rove, Vicente and the RINOs want the open borders stuff.
We'll see who gets what in the future.
This guy should be voted out of office.
The Red machine continues it's forward progress.
Woo HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Like yesterday wouldn't be too soon.
I'd like to put his 'steenkeen' ranch on the Mexican side of the fence.
LOL!
That wall can't be built soon enough. Here in PA we have illegals all over. We went to the opening of a golf club last week and were told Mexicans built the huge stone fireplace in the clubhouse. When I asked if they were legal, one of the staff members just laughed.
"The government of Mexico on Thursday issued a statement expressing "its profound concern" with the fence."
LOL at Mexico's reaction.
I find it interesting that 80% of those that voted "Nay" aren't anywhere near the border with Mexico. It must be nice to think we don't need a fence when you live in RI!
It may come down to a wall between Red and Blue states before it is all over... Fence off the Northeast, and the West Coast, and let Michigan and Illinois join Canada.
Me Gusto el Wall-o Alta; Pero NO Me Gusto el nineteen-o imbecillos.
I'm for the fence as Freight Broker I don't want to deal with a bunch on Mexicans in crap trucks running cheap freight.
You sure you aren't a former spinmeister for the Clintons? This was a resounding VICTORY for the conservative position on immigration - enforcement first - to the point where a large number of Dems had to cross over and vote for the wall.
Step two: Enforce the existing laws against illegal immigration and they will deport themselves.
An extra bonus would be if we could build a new main gate back to Mexico that allowed the illegals to trample the Bush ranch on the way back home.
That would be justice.
Nothing. He is a stone cold liberal no matter what you may read in the media.
I can deny it because your claim is a load of bull.
so I ask, WHY NOW?
Gee, maybe because two solid years of selling the anti-illegal-immgration position to the American people has produced a large mandate for enforcement?
"It may come down to a wall between Red and Blue states before it is all over..."
Now that could pose a bit of a problem.
Which side of that fence do you think Bush is on?
Lieberman is a liberal. He likes being a US Senator and whatever that takes.
"It may come down to a wall between Red and Blue states before it is all over..."
Now that could pose a bit of a problem, considering which side of the fence Bush is on!
Your tag line "fiscal conservative, social moderate" tells me you are really a bleeding heart liberal but you want someone else to pay.
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