Bush Signs Border Fence Bill

AP ^ | October 26, 2006 | DEB RIECHMANN

[PittsburghAfterDark]

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush signed a bill Thursday authorizing 700 miles of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, hoping to give Republican candidates a pre-election platform for asserting they're tough on illegal immigration.

"Unfortunately the United States has not been in complete control of its borders for decades and therefore illegal immigration has been on the rise," Bush said at a signing ceremony.

"We have a responsibility to enforce our laws," he said. "We have a responsibility to secure our borders. We take this responsibility serious." He called the fence bill "an important step in our nation's efforts to secure our borders."

The centerpiece of Bush's immigration policy, a guest worker program, remains stalled in Congress.

And a handful of House Republican are at the brakes, blocking negotiations with the Senate for a bill that includes the president's proposal.

Still, Bush argues that it would be easier to get his guest worker program passed if Republicans keep their majorities in the House and Senate after the Nov. 7 elections. His proposal would allow legal employment for foreigners and give some of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States a shot at becoming American citizens. The measure Bush put into law Thursday before heading for campaign stops in Iowa and Michigan offers no money for the fence project covering one-third of the 2,100-mile border.

Its cost is not known, although a homeland security spending measure the president signed earlier this month makes a $1.2 billion down payment on the project. The money also can be used for access roads, vehicle barriers, lighting, high-tech equipment and other tools to secure the border.

Mexican officials have criticized the fence. Outgoing Mexican President Vicente Fox, who has spent much of his six years in office lobbying for a new guest worker program and a chance at citizenship for the millions of Mexicans working illegally in the U.S., calls the fence "shameful" and compares it to the Berlin Wall.

Others have doubts about its effectiveness.

"A fence will slow people down by a minute or two, but if you don't have the agents to stop them it does no good. We're not talking about some impenetrable barrier," T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing Border Patrol agents, said Wednesday. Customs and Border Protection statistics show that apprehensions at border crossings are down 8 percent nationally for the budget year that just ended, Bonner said. Apprehensions were up in the San Diego sector, he said, an area of the nearly 2,000-mile border that has the most fencing.

A spokesman for Customs and Border Protection would not confirm the statistics or discuss reasons for the increase in the San Diego sector. Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, both Texas Republicans, had wanted to amend the fence bill to give local governments more say about where fencing is erected. They lost that battle, but Republican leaders assured them the Homeland Security Department would have flexibility to choose other options instead of fencing, if needed.

Cornyn said he voted for the fence because he wanted to help demonstrate that Congress was serious about border security.

"The choice we were presented was: Are we going to vote to enhance border security, or against it?" Cornyn said. "I think that's how the vote was viewed."

[PRND21]

I got one, as well.

[ohioWfan]

This violates FR rules. Apple Butter is in full fledged attack mode here.

He needs to be zotted.

[petercooper]

Here's the fence.

[AmeriBrit]

Damn I must be lucky, [or maybe that should be unlucky] I got more than one. He's back on the main board again now. Just replied to one of my posts which I have every intention of ignoring since it's more dummy propaganda. Instead of grey matter I think his heads full of cotton candy and all the sugar has put him into overdrive. I've never seen anyone beg so hard to be banned like this before.

[AmeriBrit]

Must have just learned how to 'cut and paste' and wants to show his keeper his wonderful talent...LOL

[1035rep]

These are desperate times for liberals :)

[ohioWfan]

Two of us have reported our freepmails to the Mods. Since you were lucky and got TWO, you can do the same. :)

[COEXERJ145]

AppleButter

This account has been banned or suspended.

[leilani]

WOW! Bump for #133!

Congratulations, Doctor Pissant! You just earned your FR PhD with that one!

Seriously, you need to put that up on your homepage so that we can use it again to zap all the "divide & conquer" drones coming out of the woodwork now that the election's right around the corner. They've been mighty busy regurgitating their "Suggested Divisive Posting Points for Use When Trolling Free Republic" almost verbatim on just about every thread lately to try & suppress the vote, I'm afraid.

[ohioWfan]

Excellent. It's bad enough to have to deal with RATS in the outside world, but when they invade FR, it doesn't sit too well.....

[Once-Ler]

Wow! That is a GREAT post, Darkwolf! BRAVO!!!

DITTOS

[AmeriBrit]

I don't mind putting them in their place on the main forum but when they start to pester via personal FReepmail, that's where I draw the line. I've never used the 'Abuse' button yet but the dummies are getting so desperate, I have a feeling we'll all be experts by the time November 7th gets here.

[Nav_Mom]

Yeah and if Democrats were in power we'd have illegals getting to vote.
I'll take the fence TYVM

[Nav_Mom]

If Democrats win the majority, the fence will be Ka-Put and illegals will be voting

[Nav_Mom]

Why don't you respond to the points so many on here are making about the FACT that if the DEMS take control in 12 days that Fence hasn't got a prayer!!!
I am sooooooooo weary of Freepers on here showing anger to the GOP while not acknowledging how much worse it will be if DEMS take control! What do you think will happen to Fence Funding if DemoRATS win????? Honestly?

[Nav_Mom]

Please name ONE Democrat who was even willing to address the Border (except to give illegal Mexicans the vote)
BUSH had the support of 99% of the elected Democrats on his Amnesty while it was "EVIL" Republicans who forced the issue!

[Nav_Mom]

Bush will be remembered as the Democrats' best asset and the man who destroyed American culture in 8 years.

Wrong.....Childish GOP voters who cut off their nose to spite their face will be the ones Responsible if this Fence goes down in Flames.....I wish you, "punish the RINOs" freepers would speak to the reality of how much ground we will lose if DEMS take control.
So far all I see is pissing, moaning and complaining
(just like a Dem)

[polkat]

I say, to hell with the fence . Dam the Rio Grande at the Gulf and build locks up stream. just as the T. V. A. did in the '30 s. The river front would cause the area to economically grow.Resorts, water-sports, casinos ,and jobs.

[Liberty Valance]

Please name ONE Democrat who was even willing to address the Border (except to give illegal Mexicans the vote)

None that I know of. Thats just one more reason my family and I are all voting straight Republican. Hopefully the "gesture" will turn into an actual fence.

[ZULU]

I didn't say we would not loose ground if the Dems take over. Quite the contrary - I urge all Freepers to vote Republican. The only exception I'd make is Tom Kean Jr who has ALREADY gone down on record as opposing Bush's foreign policies.

What I HAVE said is that IF we loose, its because of the border situation, the Iraq dilemma and some other issues of the Administration and Congress' creation.

Bush's continual whining about amnesty for illegal invaders and his inability to electively articulate the very valid reasons for invading Iraq in the first place, as well as his failure to move ON and take out Iran and Syria and then declare a victory and come home, are factors in my assessment of his administration.

Someone above - pissant, gave a very good defense of Bush and his accomplishments and I can't argue with them. He has achieved a lot, and perhaps its unfair to judge him solely from what he HASN'T done, instead of what he has.

He HAS had the anchor of John McCain and his fellow Judases to contend with.

But getting back to the original point - if the Dems take over the Congressional Committees, things will get very bad indeed - both here and abroad. Pelosi is a Bolshevik and Reid is an idiot, and so are most of their Democrat colleagues.