Posted on 07/22/2007 10:12:02 AM PDT by DogByte6RER
Bill would de-fund two agents' prison terms
July 21, 2007
By Jerry Seper - A Republican congressman yesterday said he will offer an amendment to an annual spending bill to prevent the Bush administration from using funds to enforce the prison sentences of two U.S. Border Patrol agents.
Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado said the amendment would force the release of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean, who were sentenced to 11- and 12-year prison terms for shooting a fleeing drug-smuggling suspect in the buttocks.
"Americans have been waiting months for the president to right this wrong and I am not going to wait any longer," said Mr. Tancredo, a candidate for president in 2008. "It's time that the Congress took matters into its own hands.
"This kangaroo court in Texas has made a decision, but Congress is under no obligation to provide the administration with the funds they need to enforce it," he said.
Also yesterday, Rep. John Culberson, Texas Republican, and 20 House colleagues sent a letter to President Bush asking that he immediately commute the sentences of the agents, saying they were "unjustly prosecuted for doing their job."
"It is unacceptable that a federal prosecutor would take the word of a known drug smuggler over the testimony of two officers protecting our country," Mr. Culberson said. "This case has created a chilling effect along the border, and law-enforcement personnel tell me they are now hesitant to draw their weapons."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
From the artcile, the others who signed the letter to President Bush for the commutation of both Ramos and Compean are:
Texas Reps. Michael C. Burgess, John Carter, Michael K. Conaway, Louie Gohmert, Kay Granger, Ralph M. Hall, Kenny Marchant, Michael McCaul, Pete Sessions and Ted Poe; California Reps. Brian P. Bilbray, Wally Herger, Dana Rohrabacher and Ed Royce; and Reps. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, Virgil H. Goode Jr. of Virginia, Walter B. Jones of North Carolina, Mike Rogers of Michigan, Cliff Stearns of Florida and Joe Wilson of South Carolina.
This appears to be a violation of the separation of powers. It is exactly the sort of thing that we decry when done by the judiciary.
Can Congress really “de-fund” the prison sentences of specific individuals? Even if it’s warranted in this case, I’m not sure I like the precedent; imagine the possibilities.
This seems like a slippery slope. We bitch and moan that the Dims can’t prosecute a war by committee and then one of our own does essentially the same thing.
Why doesn’t Bush just commute their sentences?
How else do you get through to someone who has a skull as thick as Bush?
I’d say this effort has severe constitutional flaws.
No, No, No, No.
No matter how noble the goal may be, we cannot allow this.
Our elected officials have no clue about the constitution.
I think you’re right. Dumb stunt on Tancredo’s part.
In this case it needs to be done, and should be far more often. No less than Justice A. Kennedy recently said that many of the mandatory have gone way over the top. The pardon was established for such purposes but, as he made sure to point out, it’s not being used. Something needs to be done to establish a fair system and if this is the way to start, then it’s a start.
Why not have these guys re-sentenced to time-served? The cops aren't supposed to shoot somebody who is running, but it appears to me that they aren't guilty of anything more than assault. (If it were attempted murder, it would've been a head or back shot.)
If you look at the sentences and/or penalties handed out to police officers for assault or a non-fatal shooting that violated policy, I'll bet the farm that they didn't get 12-year sentences. I've seen cops do a lot worse and get a fine, probation, and firing from the police force.
Federal Minimum Sentencing Guidelines. That’s the true problem.
Sometimes they go to Atlanta and shoot old women.
Congress holds the purse. This is exactly how it’s supposed to work - according to the Constitution itself!
Then let Tancredo offer legislation to reduce the mandatory sentencing minimums. This is nothing more than a stunt, and one that isn't even grounded in the Constitution (or common sense) at that.
What would it take for Bush to just step in and say, look, the 10-year enhancement for using a gun doesn’t apply to law enforcement doing their jobs. I’m throwing that part of their sentence out. That leaves a 1-year and a 2-year sentence, with part of that time already served, and with good behavior and the proven fact that they are in danger and being inadequately protected while in prison, I think it’s time to let these men go with a written citation. That is, if my good dear friend and upstanding guy Johnny Sutton lets me do that. I’ll have to clear it with him first.
Tancredo needs to find another avenue to get this done or he'll be opening the floodgates to a bunch of DemonRats who already connive with organizations whose only job 24/7 is to find avenues like this to force agendas on unwilling people and state/local governments.
Be careful what you wish for, Mr. Tancredo. You won't like it when the Congressional DemonRats start freeing environmental "activists" (that is, domestic terrorists) who burn down ski areas and SUV dealerships, coke dealers who stuff campaign coffers with laundered money, and illegal aliens who deal drugs, live in gangs, and commit identity theft.
Maybe the MSM could take up a collection from KC, Juan, Dan Rather, et. al. to help pay for the continued incarceration.
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