Posted on 10/25/2006 2:06:15 PM PDT by mdittmar
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) today commented on tomorrow's White House signing of the Secure Fence Act passed by the Republican Congress.
"Our borders constitute the first line of defense in protecting the American people from terrorists. Last July I met with border security agents and other federal and local officials during my visit to the border, and I promised them we would address this national security crisis. The Republican Congress has responded to the American people's demand for a secure border by increasing the physical barriers and infrastructure along the border and by providing state of the art monitoring technology. I look forward to the President signing the Secure Fence Act tomorrow.
"What disappoints me most is the rhetoric coming from the other side of the aisle. Democrats say they are for immigration reform - just not the reform that Republicans have offered. Democrat Leader Pelosi's plan is to leave our borders open, grant blanket amnesty and provide Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants. Is THAT their plan? Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi has NEVER visited the border. She claims to understand the needs of those on the front lines but has never visited those agents and offers no solutions.
"While the Democrats talk about doing something, House and Senate Republicans are making strides, and President Bush is supporting their hard work by signing this important legislation this week. I still hold out hope that Democrats will rise above the politics and offer some solutions to the border security crisis in America. In the meantime, House Democrats are hoping Americans don't know their voting record against border security."
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-- 164 House Democrats voted against H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act, which was passed by the House last December.
-- 131 House Democrats voted against H.R. 6061, the Secure Fence Act of 2006, an emergency measure that would mandate operational control of all borders and ports through enhanced Border Patrol operations, physical barriers, and state-of-the-art technology along the southwest border, including reinforced fencing.
-- 134 House Democrats voted against H.R. 6095, the Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006, a bill that would reaffirm the authority of State and local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws, authorize an increase in methods to prosecute alien smugglers, and end the policy of "catch and release" in the United States.
-- 91 House Democrats voted against H.R. 6094, the Community Protection Act, which would authorize the expedited removal of alien criminals, the detention of these dangerous criminals who for various reasons might not be able to be immediately deported, and tougher laws against illegal immigrants found to be members of street gangs.
I'll tell you what I do know.
What I do know is that you evidently are of NO use in fighting to secure the borders if you're position is that it will never be built. Why do I say that? Not because the politicians have been trustworthy on the issue, but because you evidently don't seem to have any desire to continue to apply pressure so that they are forced to build it as they were forced to pass the legislation and funding for it.
The only people I'm interested in fighting alongside are those that are intent to make this fence reality beyond the legislation. And you aren't among their number.
You are a whiner and a defeatist.
Meanwhile anyone that isn't completely ungrateful is going to pump the Republicans that DID fight for this up, and vote for them in gratitude. Without them 50 million illegals would be citizens right now and we'd be screwed beyond repair.
So I THANK Hastert, Tancredo, J.D., Santorum, Sessions and all that joined them and urge folks to vote for the House Republicans and the good Reps in the Senate. Chafee can go down for all I care, and I wouldn't shed too many tears over DeWine either...
Thank you for taking the time to post that and I'd like to apologize for not having included a < /sarc > tag after my remark. Believe me, I know a con job when I see one.
Now, in the words of way too many politicians in D.C., I leave you with this rallying cry...
"Viva Mexico."
...I can't vote. Therefore I can't apply pressure. And even if I could vote, I highly doubt that my pretending that Congress has funded something that they quite clearly haven't funded will not fund it.
Funding was included in the Homeland Security bill signed a few weeks ago. $1.2 billion has been appropriated and approved for the fence.
http://govtsecurity.com/news/bush-homeland-bill-border-fence/
"An unprecedented level of funding for critical components of the Secure Border Initiative, which includes 1,500 border patrol agents, 6,700 detention beds, and $1.2 billion for border fencing, vehicle barriers, technology and tactical infrastructure"
So is it fully funded, or not?
[I'd like to apologize for not having included a < /sarc > tag after my remark. Believe me, I know a con job when I see one.]
Whooops! Sorry, subtelty is not my strong point.
No, it is not funded. The 1.2 is only a downpayment that will cover approximately 1/2 of the 700 miles.
no. see above.
No it is not. See above.
ping
By your own admission it is partially funded, so why don't we meet in the middle where the truth lies?
Money has been put down so that the building can begin.
If we all have that attitude it won't be built. we didn't get to this point by sitting on our backsides yawning. Some of us are going to continue to keep their feet to the fire, with or without you.
You have an open invitation to join us on the border any time. We aren't going away anytime soon.
I've been voting for 40 years, I've spent years working within the Republican party, I've verbally poked several congressmen, and senators in the eye, I don't decieve myself into believing that any of it has done much good. When you try something, and it doesn't work, you try something else. The hours, a couple of thousand of us have spent on the border in the past year and a half has applied more pressure to congress than anything that has been tried in my lifetime. We are not going away any time soon!
You have an open invitation to join us on the border any time. If that is not possible, I am sure there is something in your local area that can be done to aid the effort.
If it isn't, after November 7th it certainly won't be if the Dems win back the Senate and House.
-- 164 House Democrats voted against H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act, which was passed by the House last December.
-- 131 House Democrats voted against H.R. 6061, the Secure Fence Act of 2006, an emergency measure that would mandate operational control of all borders and ports through enhanced Border Patrol operations, physical barriers, and state-of-the-art technology along the southwest border, including reinforced fencing.
-- 134 House Democrats voted against H.R. 6095, the Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006, a bill that would reaffirm the authority of State and local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws, authorize an increase in methods to prosecute alien smugglers, and end the policy of "catch and release" in the United States.
-- 91 House Democrats voted against H.R. 6094, the Community Protection Act, which would authorize the expedited removal of alien criminals, the detention of these dangerous criminals who for various reasons might not be able to be immediately deported, and tougher laws against illegal immigrants found to be members of street gangs.
That should cover some sixty-five percent of the terrain leaving the bulk of physical barrier placed in OPEN DESERT where illegal aliens would be at increased risks of trauma or dying and putting the "virtual barriers" in areas where illegals can cross more easily while the monitoring systems are down. What's so great about a 1ft rise in ten? Lawmakers make that gradient on the sidewalks in DC around the Rayburn Office Building DAILY.
Please reaf my # 13.
reaf-read
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