[La Lydia]

Yes, that is what the authorizing legislation said. However, in the appropriations bill that provided funding for the fence project, Senator Hutchison successfully gutted the Hunter requirement by inserting language that LEFT THE KIND OF FENCE TO BE BUILT UP TO THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY. Here is the Hutchison language:

"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." (FY 2008 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act – July 26, 2007)

Nice, huh? The fence we have now is the result. It is better than nothing, but not as much as it could be.

[bgill]

KBH opened it up to all sorts of law suits that will keep any fence from being built in our life times.

[org.whodat]

Yes, that is what the authorizing legislation said. However, in the appropriations bill that provided funding for the fence project, Senator Hutchison successfully gutted the Hunter requirement by inserting language that LEFT THE KIND OF FENCE TO BE BUILT UP TO THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY. Here is the Hutchison language:

The work of the Texas Witch , Senator Kay the "Female Dog" Hutchinson

[kabar]

Under the Secure Fence Act, the federal government was instructed to complete "at least 2 layers of reinforced fencing" along a total of about 670 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border before the end of 2008. (Secure Fence Act of 2006). However, in December 2007, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) successfully attached an amendment to the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act that effectively gutted the two layer reinforced fencing requirement by giving DHS the discretion to construct other types of barriers to count toward the 670 mile total. (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, December 26, 2007). As a result, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported in January 2009 that only 32 miles of double-layered fencing had been built, and that DHS had no intention to significantly add to that total. (GAO Report, January 29, 2009). The DeMint Amendment restores DHS' original mandate to complete the entire 670-mile southwest border fence using only double-layered, reinforced fencing. On July 8, the Senate voted 54-44 to adopt the DeMint Amendment. (Senate Roll Call Vote #220, July 8, 2009).