Posted on 05/03/2005 9:30:56 PM PDT by smoothsailing
At the same exact time as agents rounded up top ms-13 leaders. I don't think it was the MMP he was worried about stirring up trouble.
MMP bump.
Perhaps then it was both groups. Good to hear one on your side admit something is being done to stop MS13. Probably an accident.
I don't know what world you live in but in the real world The President doesn't authorize budgets. Congress does. try again.
If Dubya could get Congress to pay for more border agents it would be done. If your side could convince a majority of voters to defend the border it would be done. Do you ever question why pipsqueek congressmen like Tancredo are your only allies? Do you ever stop and question why if a majority of Americans want border control they keep on voting for the OBL Senators?
In December of 2004, Congress passed the 911 Security Bill which authorized (but did not budget or appropriate which are the next steps in the process) the hiring of 10,000 new Border Patrol Agents in increments of 2000 per year for 5 years beginning in 2006. At the time President Bush praised that bill.
In February of 2005, barely two months after praising the previous bill, President Bush submitted his "proposed budget" (and, yes, Presidents do PROPOSE budgets in the real world) and he only requested funding for 210 of the authorized 2000 agents.
For this he has received bipartisan criticism in both the House and the Senate and both chambers have added back funding to the Budget for the full 2000 agents. These budgets have been passed and I believe a final Budget Resolution has been agreed to recently in Joint House Senate Conference which, despite Dubya's efforts to keep the border patrol weak includes funds for 2000 new agents in 2006.
Now that the budget has been set, the final step will be for Congress to actually appropriate funds. That will happen as part of the Appropriations process which typically takes place in late fall. Appropriations don't always match the budget but it appears that we are on the right track.
As a further stick in Dubya's eye regarding the Border Patrol funding issue, as part of the Iraq War Supplemental Funding Bill which has just been finalized in Joint House Senate Committee yesterday and which will likely be passed in final form by the House this week and the Senate next week, the Congress appropriated funds to hire about 500 new Border Patrol Agents and 150 new ICE Agents this year (2005). I think this amendment by Robert Byrd and its success took everybody who follows this issue by surprise. The President certainly did not request this increase in Border Patrol funding.
In light of the facts, your assertion that, "If Dubya could get Congress to pay for more border agents it would be done" does not stand up. Congress wants them; Dubya does not! Try again!
Well, considering it was the aclu, ms-13, vicente fox and friends making all the threats, I'd say the feds concluded that they were the threat.
I'm not going to argue with you about who writes budgets. If you want to believe President Bush can submit a budget that Congress is incapable of altering then why should I bother to correct you.
I have proven your assertions false, but you are not required to be a man and admit your error.
I have proven your assertions false, but you are not required to be a man and admit your error.
My original assertion was: The President clearly lacks that will. Congress authorized 2000 agents next year and he budgeted a measly 210.
You have not offered an iota of proof that in anyway refutes that assertion except this ridiculous statement: If Dubya could get Congress to pay for more border agents it would be done
In my last post I shredded that argument with the actual facts about the interaction between President Bush and Congress and it is Bush that is asking for less and Congress that is demanding more border patrol agents.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.