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Bush to Sign Bill for U.S.-Mexico Border Fence

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MasterWolf1:
WASHINGTON -- President Bush signed a bill Thursday authorizing 700 miles of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, hoping to give Republican candidates a pre-election platform for asserting they're tough on illegal immigration.

"Unfortunately the United States has not been in complete control of its borders for decades and therefore illegal immigration has been on the rise," Bush said at a signing ceremony.

"We have a responsibility to enforce our laws," he said. "We have a responsibility to secure our borders. We take this responsibility serious."

He called the fence bill "an important step in our nation's efforts to secure our borders."

The centerpiece of Bush's immigration policy, a guest worker program, remains stalled in Congress.

And a handful of House Republican are at the brakes, blocking negotiations with the Senate for a bill that includes the president's proposal.

Still, Bush argues that it would be easier to get his guest worker program passed if Republicans keep their majorities in the House and Senate after the Nov. 7 elections. His proposal would allow legal employment for foreigners and give some of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States a shot at becoming American citizens.

The measure Bush put into law Thursday before heading for campaign stops in Iowa and Michigan offers no money for the fence project covering one-third of the 2,100-mile border.

Its cost is not known, although a homeland security spending measure the president signed earlier this month makes a $1.2 billion down payment on the project. The money also can be used for access roads, vehicle barriers, lighting, high-tech equipment and other tools to secure the border.

Mexican officials have criticized the fence. Outgoing Mexican President Vicente Fox, who has spent much of his six years in office lobbying for a new guest worker program and a chance at citizenship for the millions of Mexicans working illegally in the U.S., calls the fence "shameful" and compares it to the Berlin Wall.

Others have doubts about its effectiveness.

"A fence will slow people down by a minute or two, but if you don't have the agents to stop them it does no good. We're not talking about some impenetrable barrier," T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a union representing Border Patrol agents, said Wednesday.

Customs and Border Protection statistics show that apprehensions at border crossings are down 8 percent nationally for the budget year that just ended, Bonner said. Apprehensions were up in the San Diego sector, he said, an area of the nearly 2,000-mile border that has the most fencing.

A spokesman for Customs and Border Protection would not confirm the statistics or discuss reasons for the increase in the San Diego sector.

Sens. John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, both Texas Republicans, had wanted to amend the fence bill to give local governments more say about where fencing is erected. They lost that battle, but Republican leaders assured them the Homeland Security Department would have flexibility to choose other options instead of fencing, if needed.

Cornyn said he voted for the fence because he wanted to help demonstrate that Congress was serious about border security.

"The choice we were presented was: Are we going to vote to enhance border security, or against it?" Cornyn said. "I think that's how the vote was viewed."

jdl4ever:
Firstly, why is the fence only covering one third of the border?  Secondly, why is it not an electric barbed wire fence?  Thirdly, a fence is useless without allocating more border patrol agents to patroll the border and with their hands unmasked so they don't go to Jail for shooting an illegal.  Forthly, where is that cool military prototype stuff I saw five years ago that fries people with super powerful microwaves if they get too close to it? 

GentileLady:
This is Nonsense.  The Republicans politicized the security of this nation.  I made it very clear to my Republican congress critter that this was absolutely unacceptable....unforgiveable....and may have contributed to their defeat.

cjd:

--- Quote from: GentileLady on November 13, 2006, 06:47:45 PM ---This is Nonsense.  The Republicans politicized the security of this nation.  I made it very clear to my Republican congress critter that this was absolutely unacceptable....unforgiveable....and may have contributed to their defeat.

--- End quote ---
The Republicans should politicize the fact that they had six years of no follow up to 911. The descending Democraps did nothing in the intervening time but beat their gums about how how much abuse the miserable Muslam animal terrorist were getting in Guantanamo Bay. Lets see now that Democraps hold the cards how worried they are about the American people. From what I see so far they are picking up right where they left off when they were tossed out the last time. Hittlery is already dragging out her socialist health program. Don't be jumping for joy yet because it seems like its going to be the same old Democrap story.

GentileLady:
I think there is a difference between publicizing and politicizing.

The Republicans should undoubtedly tell the American people what they are doing and what the Dems did not/will not do........but,

The Secure Fences Act languished on a desk somewhere for a few weeks and Jorge Wahabi Arbusto signed it two weeks prior to the election.....for political impact.

Dang it!!!  The security of this nation shouldn't be manipulated for political gain.  It is their CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY to protect this nation and as soon as that bill passed both houses, it should have been signed immediately and FUNDED immediately and Construction should be underway.

I still question if this was all a political ruse.  I'll believe it when I see it.

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