Posted on 01/02/2008 7:34:33 AM PST by pissant
In a quiet act of defiance, the Senate approved a $555 billion omnibus spending bill that removed legal requirements mandating the federal government fund 854 miles of a double layer border fence spanning America's southwestern border.
The funding requirement was codified into law when Congress passed, and President George W. Bush signed, the Secure Fence Act (SFA) in 2006.
When the spending bill, which combines appropriations for a number of federal agencies, reached the Senate, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) attached S.Amdt. 2466 to the measure in order to silently gut the SFA's spending requirement.
The Hutchison amendment reads, "Nothing in this paragraph shall require the secretary of homeland security to install fencing, physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras and sensors in a particular location along an international border of the United States, if the secretary determines that the use or placement of such resources is not the most appropriate means to achieve and maintain operational control over the international border at such location." Thus, critics argue the amendment results in a de facto repeal of the SFA.
"The Hutchison amendment gives DHS virtually total discretion over how and where the fence is built," commented Steve Elliott, president of Grassfire.org. "In fact, DHS would not be required to build fencing in any particular location - and the double-layer mandate is totally gone."
The double-layer border fence, which was premised on the fence erected outside San Diego, consists of two layers of fencing with a border patrol access road separating the fencing. California Congressman Duncan Hunter, who is also running for the Republican nomination, was instrumental in building the fence in San Diego and boasts the fence reduced the smuggling of drugs and people into San Diego by 90 percent. Mr. Hunter further contends his fence is virtually impenetrable.
"If you get over my fence, we sign you up for the Olympics immediately," Mr. Hunter repeatedly jokes on the campaign trail. The success of the San Diego fence was so great that Mr. Hunter wrote the SFA to extend it all the way across the southwest border.
But with the Senate's amendment, the fate of the fence remains in limbo and sets the stage for another congressional showdown on immigration now that the amended Senate version comes back to the House for consideration.
"Congress truly pulled the rug out from under us while we were doing our last-minute holiday shopping, deceiving the American people and only showing goodwill to the 12 million lawbreakers living among us," sates Chris Simcox, president of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. Mr. Simcox had pledged to rally his Minutemen to secure funding for the fence, and Mr. Hunter is prepared to do battle as well.
"If Congress is to reverse its border stance after just one year, what message does that send to illegal immigrants and drug smugglers who are watching to see how serious we are about protecting America's borders?" Mr. Hunter asked.
Look at her record, don’t take my word for it.
The “people” in Texas, of which I am one, will get rid of her when WE are ready.....NOT BEFORE.
Show me your sources. She has been a great Senator.
To accuse someone of taking bribes, I would think you would have some proof.
That’s because you don’t have big money campaign donors telling you they want cheap labor.
Campaign contributors and ethnic voting blocs, silly. They're bought and paid for, and not by the citizens of this country.
Agreed! Vote Fred Thompson.
Texas has brought us the following Arabophiles: Connelly, Bush, Bush, Baker, the Texas banking crowd, the River Oaks crowd, the Silver hoarders, the Texas oil crowd including such the disreputable Oscar Wyatt, and such Arabo-sycophantic outfits as Fleur and Halliburton — not to mention the feckless Kay Baily Hutchison. They are Republicans by accident and Conservative only when it fills the pocketbook.
She made the remark that she would support the Senate Sisterhood about the time (2000) that she worked with Boxer, Mikulski and Feinstein to publish “Nine and Counting: The Women of the Senate.” The remark was picked up and commented on by Rush Limbaugh and other conservative newsmen.
The RINOs hate Hunter with a passion.
Hutchison ticks me off, she has never been a favorite of mine and I doubt I’d vote for her. My mother played golf with her mother - way back.
She lived in an itty bitty town called LaMarque but has Galveston as her birthplace as I recall. Yeah, the big hospital was in Galveston!!
They plan on going ahead with the fence down here in spite of border towns and ranchers fighting it. We shall see what we shall see..
James Baker is one of the most brilliant statesmen this country has ever produced. If you don’t like the President, then get over it. Sounds like you have a problem with self-made fortunes. You may claim to be a conservative, but sound suspiciously like a liberal.
I would like to see it in PRINT.
NOT “he said, she said”.......
The ranchers aren’t fighting it, they are fighting to get a way to have access for their cattle. Nothing unreasonable about that.
From what I have read, any rancher or farmer owning land along the Rio Grande is fighting the fence. Since it will take away some of their property and also their access to water from the river I can understand their reasoning.
Term limits? How about a five minute trial and an immediate walk to the gallows to be strung up and publicly executed for treason if found guilty.
scum
What is this supposed to mean? There has never been a whiff of scandal associated with KBH. What is the reason for your uncalled for remark?
That bitch!
I'll be making some calls and faxing my total disgust.
Her recent vote regarding the “fence” reflects clearly her lack of regard for any of her fellow citizens. Why should we think any more highly of her than the limits of her libido.
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