[axes_of_weezles]

Anything to get elected.

[Echo Talon]

Cornyn added that 700 miles of fencing would not solve the problem of illegal immigration because it would still leave about 1,300 miles of unfenced border.

I'm guessing that this guys nickname is dumba*S?

[upchuck]

Cornyn defended the Senate vote for the fencing, saying it was a symbolic gesture to show that Congress is serious about protecting the border.

I hope more people than just me are saying, "Told ya."

We don' need no steenking symbols! We need to stop the invasion. Period!!

[Soul Seeker]

Cornyn defended the Senate vote for the fencing, saying it was a symbolic gesture to show that Congress is serious about protecting the border.

If Congress is serious then it won't be symbolic.

The idiot can state whatever he likes, they voted for a fence, we're going to get the fence whether he intends it to happen or not.

[msnimje]

Start building, even if it is only a few miles, until the money runs out.

[Shermy]

Humor break for "legal":

"In addition, residents in the Rio Grande Valley, El Paso and South Texas are concerned that a fence could harm legal trade and commerce back and forth across the border, which is key to jobs and the economy in those areas, he said. "

[outdriving]

I want to throw up. So the Congress is lying about the partial fence. And they want us to believe that the "virtual fence" is going to be some kind of solution.

Sure. "Look!, we've got pictures of all the people sneaking in!" That's your virtual fence. How about a mine field?

Keep up the good fight, patriotic Americans, because these slimey congress critters are planning to throw us a few bones with strings attached and yank them back after the election.

As Gomer would say: "suprise-suprise".

[concretebob]

In many border areas, the federal government would have to figure out how to compensate
land owners for the property used for the fence, which raises a lot of practical questions, he said.

IMAO, any land owner should be more than willing to cooperate with ICE and help build the fence.
And there is the "utility right-of-way" which exists to provide for utilities, why not for this fence?

[mylife]

Tuesday, the 7-year-old son of an illegal immigrant and community leader made a plea to President Bush to halt deportation hearings for his mother, Elvira Arellano. Arellano made national headlines in August when she refused to surrender for deportation and took refuge in a Methodist church in Chicago. On Friday, a federal judge refused her latest attempt to remain in the country. The boy, Saul Arellano, was a guest at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute conference. At a press conference, the boy held up a letter he said he wrote to Bush asking for a meeting. "I want you to know that there are more than 3 million children like me. We are U.S. citizens, but the government is taking away our mothers and fathers," the letter said.

I have a solution that will absolve the Gov from breaking up familys: No anchor babys

[Tribune7]

Rather than building a fence, I wish they'd amend the Constitution so one does not become a citizen by right if one is born here to people who shouldn't be under the law.

It would a lot cheaper and probably more effective.

[WOSG]

Depressing. Our lib-biased media takes his statements out of context and their is a feeding frenzy to diss a good senator who WANTS TO FULLY FUND BORDER SECURITY.

Cornyn was *criticizing* the symbolic gestures and wants the fence *funded*.

---

Cornyn Introduces $3.9 Billion Emergency Border Security Measure
Amendment Would Provide Critical Border Security, Immigration Enforcement Funding
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
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WASHINGTON—Moving forward with his commitment to seek emergency funding for border security and immigration enforcement, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), chairman of the Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship subcommittee, on Wednesday introduced an amendment to provide $3.9 billion in additional resources. The amendment to the Department of Defense appropriations bill, H.R. 5631, would fund a range of critical border security initiatives such as additional border patrol agents, detention beds, employer verification and strategic barriers that have either been previously authorized but not funded by Congress or called for by President Bush.

Cornyn said he hopes the funding will help restore confidence that the federal government will control the border and enforce the law following the mistakes of the 1986 amnesty bill. “One way to build that confidence is for Congress and this administration to fully fund border security and immigration enforcement programs starting with those that the Congress has already authorized and that the President has indicated are necessary to control our broken immigration system.”

“I remain committed to comprehensive immigration reform and I will continue to advocate for a bill that provides economic and national security,” Cornyn said. “But I believe that funding for our border security is a necessary and essential step in that direction and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.”

Cornyn noted that for too many years Congress authorized additional border patrol agents and detention beds and claimed then to have dealt with our broken borders, but failed to fund the positions and the infrastructure that it authorized.

The amendment, co-sponsored by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), will also help break the stalemate in the immigration debate, Cornyn said. “It is my hope and desire that funding enforcement programs will increase the credibility of the federal government and will facilitate a successful conference between the House and the Senate.”

“This amendment in no way eliminates the need for comprehensive reform, which I believe should be done in one single bill,” Cornyn said. “It is in fact the opposite: this amendment will allow us to find common ground on visa reform and ways to address the 12 million illegal aliens here in the U.S.”

Sen. Cornyn has played a key role in the Senate immigration reform debate and continues to work to bolster border security and implement comprehensive immigration reform. He will serve on the conference committee that will reconcile the differences between the House and Senate immigration bills.

Sens. Cornyn and Kyl authored a separate bill titled: The Comprehensive Enforcement and Immigration Reform Act (S.1438). The key components of their legislation include enhanced border security and interior enforcement, employer accountability, and reform to bring the current illegal population into compliance with the law.

Summary of Cornyn-Kyl Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Border Security and Immigration Reform Amendment to H.R. 5631

* Border Patrol Agents: $173 million to hire 500 border patrol agents with the necessary support staff, training and education to make our borders safe. The President has said that we need 2,500 additional border patrol agents as soon as possible. Taking into account the 1,000 agents the FY06 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery Act (H.R. 4939) provides and the 1,000 agents included in the Senate-passed FY07 DHS appropriations bill, this amendment would reach the President’s goal.
* Detention Beds: $45.5 million for 1,300 detention beds. Under the Senate-passed FY07 DHS Appropriations bill, 6,700 beds will be realized. This amendment would meet the authorized level of 8,000 set by the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004.
* Employer Verification System: $400 million for the development and the implementation of the Electronic Verification System, which the President has called on Congress to make mandatory for all 6 million employers.
* Vehicle and Physical Barriers, Infrastructure Support for Border Patrol Agents: $2.155 billion for physical barriers along the Mexico-U.S. border and 461 miles of vehicle barriers and for infrastructure support for new border patrol agents. Current law authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to install physical barriers along the border, and the President has supported the language in S. 2611 which calls for the construction of 500 miles of vehicle barriers and 370-miles of physical barriers (Title I, Section 106). With the Senate-passed FY2007 DHS appropriations bill providing enough money for 39 miles of vehicle barriers, the amendment would meet the authorized level.
* US VISIT Entry-Exit: $60 million to accelerate the development of a system to collect, maintain, and share appropriate information through an integrated database which will determine the eligibility of aliens for admission and benefits.
* Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents: $151 million to hire 800 additional agents and the necessary support staff and training for alien smuggling investigations and worksite enforcement of immigration laws. The Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 authorizes 800 additional agents per year.
* Capital Equipment: $976 million for Coast Guard improvements in vessels, aircraft, and equipment and to replace air assets and engage in air-fleet modernization. This funding was included in the Senate-version of H.R. 4939 but was not included in the conference report.
* Administration of Justice: $7.8 million for additional U.S. Attorneys and legal support activities to provide support for increased enforcement activities on the border.



Account


Amount (in billions)

500 Border Patrol Agents


$0.173

1,300 Detention Beds


$0.046

Employee Verification System


$0.400

Physical and Vehicle Barriers, Infrastructure Support for Border Patrol Agents


$2.155

US VISIT Entry-Exit


$0.060

800 Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents


$0.151

New Capital Equipment


$0.976

Administration of Justice


$0.008

TOTAL


$3.968

[WOSG]

Another Cornyn statement, unfiltered by the media ...

Cornyn: Immigration Reform Must Address Public Safety
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
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WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship subcommittee, made the following opening statement during the Judiciary Committee’s hearing, titled, Examining the Need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform II:

“Thank you, Chairman Specter, for holding this hearing today on a topic of great importance to the country.

“Over the past year, we have seen how illegal immigration is affecting communities that, until recently, viewed the problem as a Texas issue, or an Arizona issue, or a California issue.

“Last week, this Committee heard testimony from Mr. Louis Barletta, the Mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania: a city of 22,000 people. Though the city is thousands of miles from the southern border, its Mayor testified that Hazleton’s municipal services are “buckling under the strain” of illegal immigration.

“Some of the burdens of which Mayor Barletta spoke are, of course, nothing new for Texas, whose local governments and hospital systems have struggled financially for many, many years because of illegal immigration.

“But I am wary of the effort by some to portray all illegal immigrants as hardened criminals, gang members, or terrorists. That is simply not true.

“The overwhelming majority of illegal immigrants work hard, support their families here and at home, and contribute to our society. When there is a shortage of U.S. workers, our immigration laws should allow those workers to enter our country through legal channels and work temporarily in the United States.

“But we also cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that, amidst the millions of tourists, workers and immigrants who enter our country each day, some will be criminals.

“I’m talking here about people like Angel Resendiz – otherwise known as the “railway killer” – who authorities have been able to link to 15 victims – at least 8 of them in the U.S. Resendiz was executed just a few weeks ago, after a killing spree that spanned 23 years.

“I have documents showing that this murderer was arrested by authorities and deported, back across our southern border, no less than 20 times, and from these records, one can infer that he freely crossed the border many more times, as he had a common law wife in Mexico’s Durango state.
-more-
“Resendiz was arrested in multiple locations – from as far north as Sterling Heights, Michigan, where he was found in a boxcar at a Ford Motor Company plant – southeast to Miami, where he was convicted on burglary, auto theft and aggravated assault charges, to San Bernardino, California, for trespassing and possessing a firearm, to El Reno, “Oklahoma, for presenting false documentation and falsely reporting himself as a U.S. citizen.

“We simply cannot allow a system to continue which affords criminals like Angel Resendiz the opportunity to cross our borders, with impunity, and victimize innocent Americans.

“But right now, our immigration system does a poor job of distinguishing between those who are coming to work and those who are coming to commit crimes.

“It is for that reason that I favor a comprehensive immigration bill. I believe that addressing the 12 million illegal aliens already here in the U.S. will enhance public safety in several important ways.

“Investigators, prosecutors and judges could focus on dangerous illegal aliens and repeat offenders. The government could dedicate additional detention space for criminal illegal aliens – 80,000 of whom have already been ordered deported but never left the country.

“And by issuing secure identification to all aliens, state and local police will be in a better position to determine whether routine stops are more than just routine. There are over 700,000 members of state and local law enforcement around the country, and these officials are the ones most likely to encounter a criminal alien or suspected terrorist – most often in the context of a stop related to a minor offense.

“While police officers have access to centralized terrorist screening centers, that access is worth little if the police officer is unable to determine the individual’s real identity. By requiring all immigrants to carry secure identification, and eliminating the market for fraudulent and forged documents, we will ensure both the safety of our law enforcement personnel as well as the safety of the American people.

“Thank you for the opportunity to comment, and I look forward to the testimony of our distinguished witnesses.”

Sen. Cornyn will serve on the conference committee that will reconcile the differences between the House and Senate immigration bills. Sen. Cornyn has played a key role in the Senate immigration reform debate and continues to work to bolster border security and implement comprehensive immigration reform.

Cornyn and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) authored a separate bill titled: The Comprehensive Enforcement and Immigration Reform Act (S.1438). The key components of their legislation include enhanced border security and interior enforcement, employer accountability, and reform to bring the current illegal population into compliance with the law.

[WOSG]

Another Cornyn statement:
http://cornyn.senate.gov/index.asp?f=record&lid=1&oid=17&rid=237209&pg=1

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), chairman of the Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship subcommittee, made the following statement Monday at a hearing he chaired titled: Immigration Enforcement at the Workplace: Learning from the Mistakes of 1986.

The hearing explored the need to avoid repeating the mistakes of the 1986 amnesty in any future immigration reform proposals as well as other steps the Department of Homeland Security can take immediately to implement enforcement of immigration laws at the workplace. The lack of adequate workplace enforcement was one of the key reasons the 1986 immigration bill failed.

Over three weeks ago, the Senate passed the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. That bill contains fundamental flaws, and I voted against its final passage.

But I also recognize that the Senate bill reflects a comprehensive approach to immigration reform. I have consistently advocated comprehensive reform, and I believe that if we can get to conference then we can improve the Senate bill.

And while the differences between the House and Senate immigration bills are numerous, we need to roll up our sleeves and get to work on finding common ground. There really is no other option. I invite anyone who thinks this issue can wait to come down to Texas and see first-hand how illegal immigration is affecting my home state’s schools, hospitals and criminal justice system.

The legislative history of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act — the floor debates and committee reports — reveal how similar the current immigration reform debate is to the one 20 years ago.

Americans were assured then that there would be a “one time” amnesty, and that better enforcement – including a system to prevent undocumented workers from obtaining employment in the United States – would reduce the flow of illegal aliens into our country.

We are now asking the American people to accept the same bargain today, and the cornerstone of this deal is a new electronic employment verification system.

Unfortunately, the Senate has conducted almost no open debate regarding the new employment verification system. Not a single amendment was debated or voted on during the Judiciary Committee mark-up, and less than an hour of Senate floor time was devoted to this issue.

This concerns me not only because I see worksite enforcement as the critical means by which we can reduce illegal immigration, but also because the Secretary of Homeland Security told me that several provisions in the Senate bill would make the system unworkable.

The government is not the only one to express concerns regarding the current proposal. Some groups have expressed concern that an electronic verification system would increase opportunities for employers to discriminate against employees.

Business groups, meanwhile, have also expressed concern with the Senate proposal. Under the Senate bill, an employer might not receive confirmation of a worker’s status for up to 50 days. That lengthy waiting period yields two results – a loophole for unscrupulous employers and a prolonged period of uncertainly for law-abiding employers.

We have a diverse group of witnesses today, including current and former government officials, and I am optimistic that their testimony today will allow us to explore those issues in an open setting and to build momentum for conference with the House.

But a perfect verification system accomplishes nothing if we are not committed to enforcing the law against those who don’t comply. And the government’s track record on employer sanctions doesn’t inspire confidence. In 1999 there were 2,849 worksite arrests for immigration violations. By 2004, that number had dropped to 159.

And in 2003, ICE devoted only 90 full-time equivalent employees to worksite enforcement. Let me repeat that - 90 employees to enforce laws that apply to every employer in the United States.

It is no wonder that many employers view enforcement as a remote possibility and any civil penalties as a cost of doing business. And it is also no wonder that many Americans are skeptical that the federal government is serious about enforcing the laws.

As we discuss these technical issues, we must not lose sight of the bigger question: will this new electronic system eliminate the magnet of illegal employment? It is my belief that we cannot control illegal immigration if we cannot stop illegal employment.

This hearing will explore these issues and it is my hope that we will be in a better position to improve the legislation during a conference with the House.

[freedumb2003]

If they don't fund and start building the Fence right away the same forces that forced this bill through will re-emerge.

This AIN'T going away.

[TheCrusader]

"In many border areas, the federal government would have to figure out how to compensate land owners for the property used for the fence, which raises a lot of practical questions, he said."

I'm guessing that most property owners on the Mexican border would donate some of their land to the government if they'd actually stop the illegals from tresspassing over their property and trashing their farms and ranches.

[edsheppa]

Is it really so much to ask that these Stupid Party members keep their mouths shut for another month?

[dukakis kerry the dream team]

Know what?

Just a few months ago the Administration/Dumbocrap juggernaut wouldn't build an inch of fence without legalizing millions of law breakers.

A firestorm of resistance shut them up and backed them down.

WE'RE STILL HERE.

[stephenjohnbanker]

I hate to burst anyones bubble, as I love Reepers, but:

No fence will be funded(delayed)
the ACLU will sue, and the govt will pretend it needs to go to court(delayed)
alleged private property rights will be studied(forever)
catch & release is still going on to this day

Bush has made it ABUNDANTLY clear he is on the side of the illegals in every single speech since taking office. Nuff said.

[Liberty Valance]

"...it was a symbolic gesture to show that Congress is serious about protecting the border.

LTKFC. That didn't take long...

[HeartlandOfAmerica]

"It's one thing to authorize. It's another thing to actually appropriate the money and do it," he said.

Well, DUH!

Who didn't know that they'd not fund it in the first place?

Just an election year gimmick!

[montag813]

Cornyn is right. How can they possibly build a Bridge to Nowhere for every Senator AND build a border fence?