Posted on 03/17/2010 3:19:59 PM PDT by AuntB
In response to the murders of two U.S. citizens affiliated with the American consulate in Ciudad Juarez over the weekend, U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn today urged President Barack Obama to take action on the escalating violence along the U.S. border with Mexico.
"The spillover violence in Texas is real and it is escalating. Our border patrol agents and local law enforcement are more regularly engaged with gunmen associated with drug cartels, but our resources and personnel are limited…We urge you to deliver a concrete plan to address the increasing violence across the border, and share it with Congress," wrote Sens. Hutchison and Cornyn. "A credible plan must include immediate measures, including the temporary deployment of additional resources to help local officials better protect their citizens and communities as well as minimize disruptions to travel and trade."
The full text of the letter is below:
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. President:
We write to urge you to address the escalating drug-related violence occurring along the U.S.-Mexico border. This past weekend, two U.S. citizens affiliated with the American consulate were murdered in Ciudad Juarez, which lies just across the border from El Paso, Texas. While we share the sadness you expressed in response to these murders, we recognize that they are part of a larger pattern of violence in the border region that demands greater attention.
Over the last few weeks, many local mayors, law enforcement officials, and community leaders have become alarmed about the increased violence in the border region. They fear for the safety of their communities, as well as those of our friends on the Mexican side of the border. We recognize that President Calderon has greatly increased efforts to combat Mexican drug cartels through the Merida Initiative, and that the United States is assisting Mexico to help stop narcotics trafficking and related drug cartel activities. Yet cartel violence continues to claim more innocent lives, and that violence is spilling over into the United States. Texans have even reported at least one recent Mexican military incursion into sovereign U.S. territory.
The spillover violence in Texas is real and it is escalating. Our border patrol agents and local law enforcement are more regularly engaged with gunmen associated with drug cartels, but our resources and personnel are limited. Local officials also report a recent surge in people crossing the border to escape the violence, and they place additional burdens on local communities.
We request that you take action in three ways, as quickly as possible. First, we request a joint intelligence briefing from U.S. Northern Command, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Central Intelligence Agency regarding the ongoing violence in Mexico, including an analysis of whether it poses a threat to the safety of other American citizens and to our overall national security. We would also like to learn more about the circumstances surrounding the double murder of the U.S. citizens in Juarez, as well as to receive a detailed accounting of violent incidents involving U.S. government employees in the border region over the past six months.
Second, we urge you to deliver a concrete plan to address the increasing violence across the border, and share it with Congress. A credible plan must include immediate measures, including the temporary deployment of additional resources to help local officials better protect their citizens and communities as well as minimize disruptions to travel and trade. A credible plan must also revisit our fiscal year 2011 funding and strategic priorities under the Merida Initiative, and ensure that we are prioritizing U.S. assistance to ensure maximum effectiveness in addressing violence in the border region. We need to know what resources Congress can provide to help implement your Administration's plan as quickly as possible.
Lastly, we invite you to join us on a visit to the border region soon, and to express your personal commitment to addressing drug-related violence. Such a visit would draw national attention to a national priority, and allow you to thank the federal and local officials who are doing heroic work to protect our communities.
Sincerely,
John Cornyn Kay Bailey Hutchison
U.S. Senator U.S. Senator
Don't miss Michelle Malkin's excellent article about this tragic attack.
The Slaughter on the Southern Border http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2472754/posts
and
A Deliberate act of Terrorism - Mexico http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2472183/posts
I cannot stand these two open borders a-holes.
We can start by shooting down any Mexican military helicopters inside US borders on sight.
Stupid Kay Bailey RINO. She was against a fence or wall. Old fake bag.
The other one is another stinking open border RINO like McCain.
I think they should be urging Obama to act on the violence by Mexicans in the USA.
Obama will do NOTHING to upset his future voter base, period.
“I cannot stand these two open borders a-holes.”
They sure are expert at ignoring the obvious, aren’t they?
Give me a break/What a load. KBH is personally responsible for the fact that there is very little fence in Texas. She added an amendment to the bill funding the fence that that effectively killed any chance of building a functional length of border fence along the Texas border with Mexico. Her amendment removed the requirement under the Secure Fence Act for a double-layered fence and gave Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff “flexibility” (which resulted in the “virtual fence” fiasco) and forced DHS to “consult” with Texas authorities on fence “placement.” The last provision allowed people in the Lower RG Valley, which has been colonized and taken over by Mexico, to delay and in some cases prevent fence construction. The City and County of El Paso, across the river from Juarez, fought the fence tooth and claw with multiple lawsuits. Cornyn co-sponsored her amendment. This letter is an exercise in hypocrisy.
Why are these two Republicans asking Obama for a plan? Obama’s plan for dealing with violence in Mexico will be an amnesty for illegal aliens and an assault weapons ban. He’s been priming the country for a year now.
“This letter is an exercise in hypocrisy.”
Yes, Ma’am! They’re attending the John McCain Senate School for hypocrites.
Didn’t you just love McCain’s question to Janet Napin’atthe Alamo the other day?
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/62027
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told senators it is a national security concern that people from countries with ties to terrorism could ‘potentially’ gain entry into the United States by crossing the country’s southern border.
But according to the Department of Homeland Security’s own reports, thousands of people from 14 “special interest” countries already have come into the United States illegally, including some across the U.S.-Mexico border. (The State Department designates some nations as “special interest” counties because of their links to terrorism.)
******McCain responded: “Countries of special interest – people could come up through our southern border?” [DUH!!!]
The big Zero already said he was outraged. What more do they want?
“The big Zero already said he was outraged. What more do they want? “
I guess we shouldn’t hold our breath for Obama to call them ‘Stupid’ assassins like he called the cops ‘stupid’ for arresting his hoodlum professor friend.
Nearly nine years later, McCain notices!
“Nearly nine years later, McCain notices!”
Stunning, isn’t it? I bet he’s already forgotten, too!
Nothing to worry about, I’m sure. During the 2008 Republican primaries, Juan McCain assured us that he “got the message” and that the borders would be secured first. That was two years ago, so I’m sure, Juan being the man of integrity that he is, that he has shepherded some tough border enforcement measures through Congress, and that our borders are secure.
It's time for us here in Texas to tell these asswipes we are gonna take care of the "problem" ourselves!
One way or another!
Obama will use the situation to keep the border open; war refugees you know.
“One reason DHS has been able to do this is an amendment that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R.-Texas) slipped into an omnibus appropriations bill that Congress passed on December 18, 2007. Hutchison’s amendment put a loophole in the fence law that allowed the secretary of Homeland Security not to build the fence Congress had mandated the year before.”
I’m with you, but is Rick Perry?
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