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Many republican congressmen are trying to keep recommended provisions for border security in this bill. They should be commended. Two are Hostettler and Sensenbrenner.

The Secretary of Defense had this to say last week:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0411/16/ldt.01.html

DOBBS: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is warning of the threat of terrorists entering this country through the same routes as those used by illegal aliens. Secretary Rumsfeld, traveling in South America, warned that enemies look for weaknesses and take advantage of them.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The risk is that some of these human-smuggling routes into our country from this hemisphere could be used just as easily for terrorists.

DOBBS: And three million illegal aliens are estimated to be entering this country this year.

Secretary Rumsfeld also said the United States has to be, as he put it, smarter and quicker in securing our borders. The federal government's failure to secure those borders is leading individual states to take action. Arizona's Proposition 200, which limits state benefits for illegals, passed overwhelmingly two weeks ago. Now at least half a dozen other states are considering similar measures.
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Outside the Milwaukee Metro calling area, call my toll-free HOTLINE number: 1-800-242-1119.

Washington, D.C. Office
To write about issues pending in Congress, internships, flags, or tours, contact:

2449 Rayburn House Office Building
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Telephone: (202) 225-5101

My e-mail address is sensenbrenner@mail.house.gov.
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Washington, D.C. Office
To write about issues pending in Congress, internships, flags, or tours, contact:

2449 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-4905
Telephone: (202) 225-5101

Washington, DC Office
1214 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
TEL: (202) 225-4636
FAX: (202) 225-3284

Email- John.Hostettler@mail.house.gov

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And this:

DOBBS: Let's start with this guest worker program. Both candidates, Senator Kerry and President Bush, basically worked very hard during this campaign to avoid this issue. Will the House be taking it up in rigorous terms?

REP. JOHN HOSTETTLER (R-IN), CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND BORDER SECURITY:: Well, the House will not be taking up in a positive sense guest worker legislation. We know that this is a priority for some in Washington. It is not a priority for the House of Representatives. In fact, those of us in the House that deal closely with the immigration issue believe that we need to go the other way. And that is look at the issue of enforcement and strong enforcement of our immigration laws in order to keep not only more millions of illegal aliens out, but to do something about the 10 plus million that are here now.

DOBBS: Congressman, if you pause just a little, I think you're going to hear a lot of people cheering to hear an elected representative of the people talking in these terms.

The fact of the matter is, in your position, as chairman of the subcommittee, Donald Rumsfeld today, the secretary of defense, saying that he was now concerned that terrorists could use the same routes as used by human smugglers. Are you surprised to hear him at this rather late date acknowledging that risk?

HOSTETTLER: Oh, well, this is something that we have been concerned about for years. It is an issue that, as we look at the number of individuals crossing, for example, the southern border, referred to as OTMs, or other than Mexicans, that number is rising drastically, because others in the world realize that our southern border is porous. Our men and women in uniform and the Border Patrol are doing everything they can and then some to enforce and strengthen the border. There are just not enough of them. And this is something that there may be some disconnect within the administration..~snip~