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."

[tobyhill]

There is a down payment of $1.2 billion dollars out of the estimated $7 billion it will take. There was no way at the late hour to get full funding without overhauling the whole budget and had they tried to get it all funded at once the Rats and Rinos would have killed it by continual obstruction on the budget process.

[jrooney]

Well it is signed now. Let's see what the donks do with it if they win in 12 days.

[kellynla]

"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."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1726246/posts

I hope you are right but it sure would be nice to get a straight answer out of D.C. for a change!

[nygoose]

A fence will slow people down by a minute or two....T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing Border Patrol agents, said Wednesday

If the fence will only slow these bastards for a minute or two, I would like to the blueprint and specs for this so called fence.

[ZULU]

"We have a responsibility to enforce our laws," he said. "We have a responsibility to secure our borders. We take this responsibility serious."

Now that Election Day is around the corner.


".. 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."


Is he campaiginig for Republicans or Democrats?



"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. "

This guy still doesn't get it, does he?

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

[jrooney]

Yeah the man that lowered taxes, has been fighting social activism, kept this country safe from attack for 5 years, has Al Qaeda on the run that flourished and was untouched under Clinton, has given us the best damn econmy in many years, the stock market is at an all time high, inflation low, unemployment low, Roberts and Alito on the Supreme Court, many of the best and brightest CONDERVATIVE judges appointed to the federal bench to stop judicial activism, tried to revamp social security and would have if not for the democrats.

Yeah, terrible president. Has not done anything for us, yeah right. A great president we are lucky to have.

[kellynla]

"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."

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=nation_world&id=4697319

I thought it was already funded too.

When somebody gets a straight answer out of the clowns in D.C.; I sure would appreciate a notification!

[ShandaLear]

Some people's ability to see the glass as half empty is terminal.

[jrooney]

You are right. Under donks, the glass will be empty for conservatives but too many of them are blind to this, do not care, ignorant or donks posing as conservatives to get us to stay home from voting. Here in Oregon, my entire family of 24 eligible voters, voted straight republican.

[EagleUSA]

You can get alot of fence installed for the initial 1.2 billion, so they need to get started NOW.
------
You could get ALOT MORE FENCE for the $100 BILLION per year that illegals cost the American taxpayer. This is a giant token stroke-job for the American citizen, all paid for by us, while the Washington pols sweep it under the rug now and an "addressed issue"...barf bucket please.

It is really amazing how much of a hurry Washington is to FIX THE MESS IT CREATED --- what a joke.

[mewzilla]

It still may not happen.

In Border Fence's Path, Congressional Roadblocks

The devil is in the details....

[pissant]

Good freaking grief, considering that they are going to start this process with a fence instead of some lame "comprehensive" program as a victory. Take it and work to see that it continues and expands. They've already started far more aggressive deportations. So lets build on this. We have the opprotunity to fix this problem for good.

[Darkwolf377]

Well said!

I am so sick of the anti-Bush crowd here.

Bush has in this one gesture done more to fight illegal immigration than ALL of the previous Presidents since Johnson--including Ronald Reagan, who made an Amnesty billo law--something W has not done.

Truth hurts, Bushbashers.

[ZULU]

Can't argue any of those points.

But Alitto is not the result of Bush, but of conservative base supporters' outrage over the Harriet Miers debacle and pandering to McCain and his goons in Congress as well as Harry Reid and the Dems.

As for national security, how can we be sure we are safe when MILLIONS of illegals continue to slip here annually and the government simply REFUSES to enforce the laws we have on the books.

Saving America from terrorism is meaningless if the America we save is just another third world banana republic.

[jrooney]

Yet Ronald Reagan whom was a great president is idolized. GW he is thrown to the wolves. It is disgusting and damn wrong. I for one will stand with GW.

[Hugin]

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.

In other words they wanted local leftie governments to be able to veto a fence? If ever there was an issue that is not appropriate for local control it's border control. It's very simple, you build the fence where the border is, period.

Want to guess whether the adminstration will prefer a fence or "other options"? (Hint: they have already approved a bid for a "virtual fence".)

[tumblindice]

" . . . too many of them are blind to this, do not care, ignorant or donks posing as conservatives . . ."

Gee, I really don't know and I don't care . . . (hee-haw Oops!)
The issue is border security, FRiends, not the outstanding job the president has done in other areas.
Try to stay on topic.

[1035rep]

We are damn lucky to have GW as our president. May God blees this country, our troops and GW.

 Ditto!

 

[pissant]

Utter nonsense.

[pissant]

Exactly!!