Posted on 10/26/2006 10:33:21 AM PDT by IntelliQuark
President Bush Signs Secure Fence Act The Roosevelt Room
9:34 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thanks. Please be seated. I'm pleased that you all are here to witness the signature of the Secure Fence Act of 2006. This bill will help protect the American people. This bill will make our borders more secure. It is an important step toward immigration reform.
I want to thank the members of Congress for their work on this important piece of legislation. I welcome you here to the White House. I'm looking forward to signing this bill.
I appreciate the Vice President joining us today. I thank the Deputy Secretary, Michael Jackson, of the Department of Homeland Security. Rob Portman -- he happens to be the Director of OMB. I want to thank Ralph Basham, who is the Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. David Aguilar is the Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol.
I appreciate the fact that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has joined us, as well as House Majority Leader John Boehner. I appreciate them coming in from their respective states as I sign this piece of legislation. I want to thank Congressman Peter King, who's the Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee in the House of Representatives. I appreciate you being here, Peter.
Ours is a nation of immigrants. We're also a nation of law. Unfortunately, the United States has not been in complete control of its borders for decades and, therefore, illegal immigration has been on the rise. We have a responsibility to address these challenges. We have a responsibility to enforce our laws. We have a responsibility to secure our borders. We take this responsibility seriously.
Earlier this year, I addressed the nation from the Oval Office. I laid out our strategy for immigration reform. Part of that strategy begins with securing the border. Since I took office we have more than doubled funding for border security -- from $4.6 billion in 2001 to $10.4 billion this year. We've increased the number of Border Patrol agents from about 9,000 to more than 12,000, and by the end of 2008, we will have doubled the number of Border Patrol agents during my presidency.
We've deployed thousands of National Guard members to assist the Border Patrol. We've upgraded technology at our borders. We've added infrastructure, including new fencing and vehicle barriers. We're adding thousands of new beds in our detention facilities so we can continue working to end catch and release at our southern border. During the course of my administration we have apprehended and sent home more 6 million people entering our country illegally. And I thank the Border Patrol for their hard work.
The Secure Fence Act builds on this progress. The bill authorizes the construction of hundreds of miles of additional fencing along our southern border. The bill authorizes more vehicle barriers, checkpoints and lighting to help prevent people from entering our country illegally. The bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to increase the use of advanced technology, like cameras and satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles to reinforce our infrastructure at the border. We're modernizing the southern border of the United States so we can assure the American people we're doing our job of securing the border. By making wise of use of physical barriers and deploying 21st century technology we're helping our Border Patrol agents do their job.
The Secure Fence Act is part of our efforts to reform our immigration system. We have more to do. Meaningful immigration reforms means that we must enforce our immigration laws in the United States. It is against the law to hire someone who is here illegally. We fully understand that most businesses want to obey that law, but they cannot verify the legal status of their employees because of widespread document fraud. So we're creating a better system for verifying documents and work eligibility, and in the meantime, holding people to account for breaking the law.
We must reduce pressure on our border by creating a temporary worker plan. Willing workers ought to be matched with willing employers to do jobs Americans are not doing for a temporary -- on a temporary basis.
We must face the reality that millions of illegal immigrants are already here. They should not be given an automatic path to citizenship; that is amnesty. I oppose amnesty. There is a rational middle ground between granting an automatic pass to citizenship for every illegal immigrant and a program of mass deportation. And I look forward to working with Congress to find that middle ground.
The bill I'm about to sign is an important step in our nation's efforts to secure our border and reform our immigration system. I thank the members of Congress for joining me as I sign the Secure Fence Act of 2006.
(The bill is signed.)
END 9:40 A.M. EDT
There ya go, that's how out of touch this president is. I'm not an immigrant, how about you, janetgreen, are you an immigrant? In fact there hasn't been an "immigrant" to this country in my family since the 1600's.
"
Secure Fence Act Signed by the President
"I just left the Roosevelt Room of the White House, where President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act of 2006, critical legislation that authorizes at least 700 miles of two-layered fencing along our southwest border.
The American people demand action to stem the tide of illegal immigration and Republicans have responded by dramatically increasing physical barriers … by adding 3,736 new Border Patrol agents … by building 9,150 new detention beds … by hiring 1,373 detention personnel … by ending catch-and-release … and by more than quadrupling spending on border and immigration enforcement over the last five years.
Although I’m leaving the Senate in fulfillment of the pledge I made 12 years ago, I’ll be fighting to ensure that every inch of the fence authorized today is funding fully and constructed promptly … and so should my fellow conservatives throughout America. And I’ll be fighting for better interior enforcement of our immigration laws. We simply must provide tamper proof, biometric identification cards that will enable employers to hire only legal workers. And we must authorize strict penalties for those employers who willingly defy our immigration laws.
Securing our borders is not an insurmountable problem. But it is a problem that House and Senate Democrat leadership – who voted against the Secure Fence Act – irresponsibly ignore." - Senator Frist
http://www.volpac.org/index.cfm?FuseAction=Blogs.View&Blog_id=502
I feel sorry for every miserable last one of them.
"Now remember how little media coverage was extended to the Senate approving of all things a House of Representatives Border Security Bill, remember Hillry accused the House of making Jesus illegal if they got the chance.
Remember what we awoke to, the next day, sure wasn't the overwhelming number voting YEA for a border fence, it was the gushing, whispering, faux outrage.... that prefabbed captured - internet communications regarding a Republican legislator. Why, cause unless these liberals can retake the House of Representatives they will have to watch that fence get built!!!!"
THE TIMING IS SUSPICIOUS, EH?
Anything to deflect away from the real Democrat record.
Message to border security freepers: Do what you can to save the GOP Congress, the fate of immigration laws depends on the fate of the House ... polls are looking bad and we need all the GOTV and internet/grassroots help we can get to mak a difference ...
Broken-glass time, Republicans! Save the Congress!
A special thanks to conservatives in the U.S. House for holding firm on border security first before other immigration measures are enacted.
There is no way I can sit out the upcoming election now, withdraw from this fight, or cede any advantage to the Democrats who view illegal aliens as an endless source of fraudulent voters for their sordid, liberal philosophy and a means to obtain power over our lives.
I RESPECTED Reagan. I ADMIRED Reagan.
I just wish you would do the same.
Conservatives don't support amnesty and conservatives don't vote for liberals!)
Completely agree. This is a big step, and those who wouldn't back down needed to be lauded by all of us who really care about national security and securing the border.
You are ABSOLUTELY correct.
Carter, Reagan, Bush41 and Clinton aren't President today. Bush43 is President, and he hasn't properly addressed the immigration issue for over five years. Employing 20-20 hindsight is a weak debate tactic. And taking cheap shots at Reagan solves nothing. Reagan's great challenge was fighting and winning the Cold War. The WOT was 18 years away. While the Beirut bombing took place on Reagan's watch, the attacks of 9-11 took place on Bush`s watch.
"Congratulations to Duncan Hunter, the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and to all of the others who worked so hard to make this a reality.
Now it's our job to make sure it is fully funded, and that the next bill builds the other 1300 miles of fence."
Dittos on this .... I also want to give credit to Frist and senate leadership who grew unusual spine in last month on this.
After the CIRA fiasco in May, I felt it was a long-shot 'best case' that we would get something stripped down ... yet that is what happened.
And to all the sourpusses who get half a loaf and then whine about it: This is the best we can get ... You are whining you way to a Democrat majority, shame on you.
"Carter, Reagan, Bush41 and Clinton aren't President today. Bush43 is President, and he hasn't properly addressed the immigration issue for over five years."
BS. He signed a bill TODAY.
"Reagan's great challenge was fighting and winning the Cold War."
And Bush's great challenge is the GWOT. If we let the Democrats win in 2 weeks, that challenge will go off the rails. HELP US and stop being a shameful whiner on the ONE DAY YOU SHOULD BE CELEBRATING A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!
mega dittos
You know Reagan Man, if what you say has any merit---if he's just doing this now because it's 2 weeks before the election---I don't really mind.
It's an improvement, it's progress in the right direction, and it might elicit a few extra votes for the Republicans.
It also suggests the President continues to give a damn about the base.
So where's the problem?
I don't care WHY he signed it. It's THAT he signed it that I'm grateful for.
Baby steps...grasshopper.
Exactly! And once the elections are over, Congress will revert to listening to their REAL constituents -- Big Business -- and send Jorge Bush an amnesty/guest worker bill he will be much more happy to sign than this fence bill.
Oh, yeah, they'll stifle any funding for the 700 miles of fence already approved, too!
Because those tossing the figures low-balled their estimates.
"Sorry. Bush deserves zero credit for signing this bill. "
That is completely unfair, ungenerous and narow-minded, but go ahead and give the lion's share of the credit to the Republican Congress if it makes you feel better.
What is absolutely NUTS however is giving in to the Democrats call for "status quo has to go." ... I guees you'll just *love* Speaker Pelosi, because that's what's on the plate for those who want 'change':
http://freedomstruth.blogspot.com/
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