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President Bush Signs Secure Fence Act (TRANSCRIPT of Bush Remarks)
White House ^ | Oct. 26, 2006 | President GW Bush

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


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: aliens; bush; illegalimmigration; immigrantlist; immigration
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To: Reagan Man

"In the last five years, Bush has set conservative domestic policy back 20 years with his liberal spending habits, expansion of the federal bureaucracy and advocating for liberal immigration policy.

Conservatives don't support amnesty and conservatives don't vote for liberals"



So why do you advocate a Dem victory, a Dem controlled Congress???

The Dems in Congress are the ones who kept obstructing the Republican/conservative agenda. Put the blame where it belongs. Now you want to reward the Dems, by turning over control of Congress to them. What do you think a Dem controlled Congress will do about illegal immigration, not to mention what they will do about the War on Terror and Taxes?


121 posted on 10/26/2006 12:31:04 PM PDT by IntelliQuark
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To: IntelliQuark
>>>>So why do you advocate a Dem victory, a Dem controlled Congress???

Never said that. That stupid remark belongs to you.

122 posted on 10/26/2006 12:34:07 PM PDT by Reagan Man (Conservatives don't support amnesty and conservatives don't vote for liberals!)
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To: RKV

"We want the borders closed and the lawbreakers out of our country."

that is what many citizens want. what government wants is illegals on the tax rolls, paying taxes and SS, and generally 'in the system.'

also, in reality, when you look at areas with very high % of illegals (particularly mexicans in the former mexican cession near the current border), you just aren't going to actually see deportations on that scale while the duopoly parties are in power.


123 posted on 10/26/2006 12:43:25 PM PDT by WoofDog123
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To: ilovew
Get the feelng that this topic needs to be designated....ENTERING AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE!

Nice to see tho. Did you get to see Rummy's presser today. WWWWWWOOOOOHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Jan

124 posted on 10/26/2006 12:44:42 PM PDT by OldFriend (IF YOU MUST BURN OUR FLAG, PLEASE WRAP YOURSELF IN IT FIRST)
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To: IntelliQuark; janetgreen; Plains Drifter; Netizen; WatchingInAmazement; Marine Inspector; Spiff; ...
Nice try, but anyone up to date on illegal alien issues is quite aware that, on each and every border/immigration law enforcement measure proposed, Bush has had to be dragged to the party kicking and screaming. He has resisted doing anything of substance to halt the illegal alien invasion.

In other words, don't expect loyal American conservatives to be wowed. Only the pretend-conservatives are that easily impressed. The rest of us are still waiting for real action to be taken to stem the invasion of illegal aliens into the United States.

Hint: it will take far more than the mere signing of a single bill for partial fencing of the border.

125 posted on 10/26/2006 12:47:12 PM PDT by Czar ( StillFedUptotheTeeth@Washington)
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To: OldFriend

I saw part of it anyway. I was watching it with a guy in my office and he was irritating me. He kept arguing with Rummy :( RUMMY RULES!!!


126 posted on 10/26/2006 12:47:21 PM PDT by ilovew (I love being a DoD intern...)
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To: Reagan Man

IQ: >>>>So why do you advocate a Dem victory, a Dem controlled Congress???


RM: Never said that. That stupid remark belongs to you.



You didn't actually say that, but that is the consequence of your constant Bush and Republican bashing.

Are you going to get out and vote straight Republican ticket? If not, you are indeed helping the Dems. It's elementary, my dear ReaganMan.

Every one of your posts on this thread are nothing but vile criticism of President Bush and the Republicans. The only alternative to Republicans are the Democrats. So if you hate the Republicans, by logical default, you are campaigning for the Democrats. You sound like Howard Dean.


127 posted on 10/26/2006 12:50:18 PM PDT by IntelliQuark
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To: Czar
>>>>Only the pretend-conservatives ...

The great pretenders, AKA. "pseudo-conservatives".

128 posted on 10/26/2006 12:51:53 PM PDT by Reagan Man (Conservatives don't support amnesty and conservatives don't vote for liberals!)
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To: TeleStraightShooter

Totally.

I'm not knocking the set up at Area 51, just that it's man- power intensive.

If 1/1000 of one per cent of the moonbats that listen to Art Bell were to rush it....


129 posted on 10/26/2006 12:53:39 PM PDT by investigateworld (Abortion stops a beating heart)
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To: janetgreen
Purina sheep chow, 'Net.

And they're gobbling it up! The sheep are happy today! lol

sheepdance.gif

130 posted on 10/26/2006 12:56:59 PM PDT by Netizen
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To: IntelliQuark; Reagan Man
Are you going to get out and vote straight Republican ticket? If not, you are indeed helping the Dems. It's elementary...

No, voting straight Republican ticket even though the Republicans have abandoned the same conservative principles that brought them to power is helping the REPUBLICANS see the error of their ways.

Our Founding Fathers created a political system that not only can survive two years of Democratic control of Congress, but will thrive on the divided government. Voting straight Republican this year will only ensure that true conservatives will have no party that respects them.

131 posted on 10/26/2006 12:58:49 PM PDT by AppleButter
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To: MNJohnnie

Try reading what the White House said. I did. The fact sheet I quoted from said that comprehensive immigration reform was needed. I say no. OK? What we need is to enforce existing law, with the addition of much higher resources, including a fence. I said NOTHING about funding issues related to the fence. NOTHING. Got it?


132 posted on 10/26/2006 1:00:56 PM PDT by RKV ( He who has the guns, makes the rules.)
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To: for-q-clinton

Thank you. Its a two-fer. The tax payers save money both ways. American born farm workers pay taxes and we cut welfare spending.


133 posted on 10/26/2006 1:02:20 PM PDT by RKV ( He who has the guns, makes the rules.)
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To: ilovew
You got that right..........RUMMY RULES...........lolol he continues to be THE MAN.

He had the funniest line.......about the meaning of 'it'. Then he stopped......waited, said he wouldn't go there and some presstitutes had to laugh they couldn't help themselves.

Rummy runs rings about those America haters.

134 posted on 10/26/2006 1:03:32 PM PDT by OldFriend (IF YOU MUST BURN OUR FLAG, PLEASE WRAP YOURSELF IN IT FIRST)
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To: IntelliQuark

I call them faux patriots! And they are! Bashing the President at every turn....despicable.


135 posted on 10/26/2006 1:04:30 PM PDT by OldFriend (IF YOU MUST BURN OUR FLAG, PLEASE WRAP YOURSELF IN IT FIRST)
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To: BJClinton

And at that price it will STILL be a good deal.


136 posted on 10/26/2006 1:04:35 PM PDT by RKV ( He who has the guns, makes the rules.)
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To: IntelliQuark

Oh, how it must have pained his soul to sign it.


137 posted on 10/26/2006 1:06:13 PM PDT by StoneColdGOP (¿Dubya es mi señor, es él el tuyo?)
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To: OldFriend

Lol I saw that part! He's so funny. I love his answers.


138 posted on 10/26/2006 1:10:01 PM PDT by ilovew (I love being a DoD intern...)
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To: WoofDog123

What I would like to see is the Border Patrol arresting and prosecuting those who hire illegals. The mojados would deport themselves if they couldn't get a job.


139 posted on 10/26/2006 1:13:18 PM PDT by RKV ( He who has the guns, makes the rules.)
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To: IntelliQuark

Texas Bump!


140 posted on 10/26/2006 1:18:57 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch (Terroristas-beyond your expectations!!)
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