President signs Border Fence Bill

[NewXD40fun]

Bush signs bill paying for new U.S. border fence

$1.2 billion for border part of $33.8 billion domestic security package

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - President Bush on Wednesday signed a law that will pay for hundreds of miles of new fences along the U.S.-Mexico border, a move against illegal immigration that Republicans had sought before next month’s congressional elections.

Bush had hoped to address the illegal immigration issue in a comprehensive way that would have brought beefed-up border security as well as a temporary guest worker program allowing the immigrants to work legally in the United States.

He spent months advancing the idea but failed to overcome doubts from many Republicans on Capitol Hill who derided the guest worker program as an “amnesty” that would give illegal immigrants a route to citizenship.

Under the legislation, about $1.2 billion would be spent during the fiscal year that began Oct. 1 for southwest border fencing and other barriers. The money is part of a $33.8 billion package for domestic security programs that are being bolstered following the Sept. 11 attacks.

An estimated 12 million illegal immigrants live in the United States, many of whom entered through the porous border with Mexico.

Mexico had strongly objected to the fence, which it saw as a slap in the face to efforts during President Vicente Fox’s near completed six-year term to negotiate an agreement with Washington on immigration.

Republicans, hoping to hang on to their control of the U.S. Congress in Nov. 7 elections, have been pushing border security in reaction to anger by voters, who say in some places immigrants are taking away jobs and swamping health and education services.

In a signing ceremony in Arizona, where illegal immigration is a grave concern, Bush said he still wanted a guest worker program in order to relieve pressure on the border with Mexico.

“The funds that Congress has appropriated are critical to our efforts to secure this border and enforce our laws. Yet we must also recognize that enforcement alone is not going to work. We need comprehensive reform that provides a legal way for people to work here on a temporary basis,” Bush said.

The legislation will also fund increased nuclear detection equipment at U.S. ports and raise security standards at chemical plants.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15131303/

It looks like the bricks I sent did some good.


Tom

[Nerves]

I hope this come through and all of the border (s) are covered with the Dual fence in US Mexico and US Canada border, that Pat Buchannan years ago first proposed.

[one-eyed-fatman]

Bush's own people kicked his ass and made him sign that bill without making illegals legal. Repub's must be pretty scared to do that. I applaud the effort but is it to late? Me thinks so.

[retired]

IIRC, one of the high ranking Republicans (too lazy to dig up the paper at this time) said it sounds good, but since it needs money to do it, it probably won't occur. I hope he is wrong. I hope the fence is electrified myself.

[bd]

Originally Posted by retired

...... said it sounds good, but since it needs money to do it, it probably won't occur. I hope he is wrong......

The prez wouldn't have signed this bill if he thought it would go through.

If he had thought it would have gone through you can bet he would have included one of his signing statements.

He's in bed with Mexican President Fox and wants no border control and complete amnesty.

Otherwise this would be another big ol' Bush....


FLIP FLOP


bd

[Arps]

I think we need the folks that secure area 51 to secure the border

[Brickboy240]

Too little too late, if you ask me. This signing is as much "symbolism over substance" as Clinton's signing of assault weapon bans in the 90s. Like the bans, the signing and the fence itself will do little good, really.

We wouldn't need to build a fence, if the incentives for coming here were taken away (jobs, homes, schools, healthcare, anchor babies, everything in Spanish). Taking away the incentives, builds an invisible fence, but it also requires making hard decisions and possibly being called "racist" by certain fringe groups, so don't look for the "spine donors" in DC to ever make strides to enforce laws that have been on the books for decades.

Also, taking away the incentives for coming here costs maybe a tenth of what the fence will run us, but this bunch loves to blow money, so a fence is what we'll get.

Next will come the tunnels and other ways they'll come up with to get around the fence, but make no mistake about it...they'll keep coming illegally UNTIL we grow a new spine and end the enticements that lure them here.

Mexico does not like the fence? Really! No kidding! Well, then predidente Fox, how about tossing a little money our way to help fund all of your people's entitlements, eh? Who gives a rats read-end what Mexico likes or does not like. If they could grow a spine and establish a govt. that was less corrupt, then maybe their people wouldn't be leaving in droves!

I am tired of the inaction on this issue by the DC insiders - both parties are at fault, equally. You people living in the inner states have no clue how bad this really is. If DC was located where San Antonio is, we'd have seen action on this invasion long ago, but being up there on the east coast...they've not got a clue how bad this problem really is...do they?

- Brickboy240

[rimfire]

Originally Posted by bd

The prez wouldn't have signed this bill if he thought it would go through.
bd

Actually this is a tactic to get exactly what he wants.

Once there is a fence there will need to be an expanded guest worker program and amnesty otherwise there will not be enough migrant workers to work fields and do other low paying jobs.

[Arps]

Originally Posted by Brickboy240

Too little too late, if you ask me. This signing is as much "symbolism over substance" as Clinton's signing of assault weapon bans in the 90s. Like the bans, the signing and the fence itself will do little good, really.

We wouldn't need to build a fence, if the incentives for coming here were taken away (jobs, homes, schools, healthcare, anchor babies, everything in Spanish). Taking away the incentives, builds an invisible fence, but it also requires making hard decisions and possibly being called "racist" by certain fringe groups, so don't look for the "spine donors" in DC to ever make strides to enforce laws that have been on the books for decades.

Also, taking away the incentives for coming here costs maybe a tenth of what the fence will run us, but this bunch loves to blow money, so a fence is what we'll get.

Next will come the tunnels and other ways they'll come up with to get around the fence, but make no mistake about it...they'll keep coming illegally UNTIL we grow a new spine and end the enticements that lure them here.

Mexico does not like the fence? Really! No kidding! Well, then predidente Fox, how about tossing a little money our way to help fund all of your people's entitlements, eh? Who gives a rats read-end what Mexico likes or does not like. If they could grow a spine and establish a govt. that was less corrupt, then maybe their people wouldn't be leaving in droves!

I am tired of the inaction on this issue by the DC insiders - both parties are at fault, equally. You people living in the inner states have no clue how bad this really is. If DC was located where San Antonio is, we'd have seen action on this invasion long ago, but being up there on the east coast...they've not got a clue how bad this problem really is...do they?

- Brickboy240

Good post, very well said!

[Neocode]

I think that Dubya thought the fence was going around his property and the taxpayers were footing the bill....