Bush Signs Border Fence Bill

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.

"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."

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.

First off, using insults against that you disagree with isn't helpful. It puts you at the level of the Democrats, who do the exact same thing.

And if you want to blame anyone for the Democrats regaining power, blame the correct people. Those Republicans that ruled as liberals deserve the blame. Calling someone names because they refuse to keep supporting a party that ran as conservatives, but ruled as liberals only makes you look like you do whatever you're told without thinking. If you want to keep supporting people that vote against your values, go ahead. Or, perhaps the liberal agenda the WH has taken goes along with what you want. It doesn't match every Republicans', that's for sure.

If getting a few Democrats back in power for 2 years will help turn the GOP to the right, it will be worth it. (Only if the House stays Republican and no amnesty gets through). If the GOP still doesn't learn, then they deserve whatever fate awaits them. You can follow the lead lemming off the cliff, but some voters do think before they act. The old 'lesser of 2 evils' ploy has been around a long time - usually applied by the DNC. But then, their voters are much dumber. And if the GOP wanted my vote, then they should've ruled as conservatives. It was their choice.

The House, of course, is exempt from all I've said. They were heroes voting for HR4437 and blocking SG2611. I just hope they don't take the backlash for the White House and Senate's actions.

You wasted my time.
I asked you not to send me a laundry list of cry baby complaints about the GOP. I know all the complaints you "punish the GOP by rewarding the Democrats"
have. God knows I've to read them enough on here.
The Democrats have done nothing but mock, impugn, slander & belittle Conservatives since 2000. Yeah, they really deserve to win. That'll show those poopie butt Rinos! Your response simply continued to whine. Then you tried to scold me for not being PC.
If the Democrats win & we get another Ruth Gingsberg(spelling) on the USSC, You wont be able to point to "evil Rinos" will you? Oh thats right, you'll have made a point. (eye roll) Your response had zero substance. I repeat I wish you so called conservative voters would show as much anger towards The 100% secular left Democrats as you do towards Bush. I remind you the alternative was John Kerry!

I asked you not to send me a laundry list of cry baby complaints about the GOP. ... The Democrats have done nothing but mock, impugn, slander & belittle Conservatives since 2000.

As have people like you here. Look at what you're writing with an objective eye. You can't refrain from adding in belittling comments - you are acting just like the Democrats because the real conservatives here disagree with you and many in the GOP.

I repeat I wish you so called conservative voters would show as much anger towards The 100% secular left Democrats as you do towards Bush.

Once again, you have to throw in a nasty little comment. I'm not a 'so-called' conservative. My stance has not changed in decades. It's many in the Republican party - and many here - that have changed and become more liberal. And of course we're against the Democrats. But they are on the other side. Bush et. al. were supposed to be on our side and stabbed us in the back. It's comparing a former-friend turned traitor to a known enemy. One is unexpected, but the other isn't.

It's interesting that as your values have become more liberal, so have the way you act like liberals by attacking others that disagree with you. I gave you a specific list of reasons using logic and intelligence. And come back with I'm 'whining', while your post shows no logic or reasoning, just insults and attacks. Think back to the difference between the Republicans and Democrats in the 2000 election. The conservative Republicans here are still acting the same way - with class, dignity, intelligence, and reason. But the others here are acting just like the Democrats - using insults in lieu of intelligent discourse, using name-calling, and putting down another's ideas by labeling them instead of directly addressing them. You've become what you hated.

In the final analysis, I think the overwhelming number of Republicans and a significant number of Independents out there will look at the Flag, look at Our Troops, look at Nancy Pelosi/Harry Reid/Hillery Clinton/Webb, etc. and do the right thing.

Regardless of personal feelings about Bush and the RINOs, they will vote Republican - because the alternative is too horrifying to contemplate.

Only in the traditional leftists strongholds of New York Massachusetts, Kalifornia and Maryland will the Dems make any inroads - if any.

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