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
"Did you hear Bush whining about his guest worker plan at the signing? We're supposed to give him credit? For what? What did Bush do except fight this bill tooth and nail every step of the way"
It took him three weeks to sign it and even debated if he wanted a Public Ceremony. Can't make the illegals and open borders crowd mad.
That's one big ole crock of crap. Of course the borders should've been shut down right after 9-11. Closing the borders isn't stopping us from being who we are. Its all about national security and protecting US sovereignty.
PresBush has engaged in the raw politics of hypocrisy. If Bush signed off on this today, he could just as easily have signed off on it sometime right after 9-11.
I never called you a bot, I made a simple fact.
The GOP is NOT worried about YOUR vote.
They are going after those who agree with a lot of what they do, not ALL they do. Just as the democrats will always get their minority voters.
The ones who will make the difference in this election are the swing voters.
I have no problem with discussing the issue. I happen to disagree strongly with the guestworker program, and think the borders should have been sealed shut after 9/11.
I was specifically talking to janetgreen who has said outrageous things about President Bush's being the worst President in history, and has shown complete loss of emotional control over this issue.
That kind of loss of objectivity damages her credibility.
Conservatives THINK, and when they crack emotionally, they lose credibility. Period.
I'm sorry if you find that concept offensive. It was not directed at you, unless you have the same problem as poor janet does....
I am fully aware of the history of this issue and the President's positions, as I have been following it closely for five years.
I asked you for links and proof of your CONCLUSION.
I see that you are unable to come up with any. Not that I'm surprised, since you're just guessing about the whole thing.
Well, we hadn't been hit since 9-11, so whatever they were doing was the right thing. Closing down the border was not the major issue with the terrorists, since most, if not all of them came here with legal visas. So what's your point?
You want the President to do meaningless gestures, instead of focusing on the real threat?
History will not be kind to GWB. He will go down in history as the first American president to allow an invasion by a third world country without firing a shot in America's defense. It will be to his shame that he bowed to corporate interests and slave labor lobbies rather than protect American workers and taxpayers. I am ashamed that I voted for him in 2000.
Am I emotional about "this issue"? Yes I suppose I am. We are witnessing the selling out of America by those who are supposed to be leading it.
"History will not be kind to GWB. He will go down in history as the first American president to allow an invasion by a third world country without firing a shot in America's defense."
That's a bizarre statement - at best. If you mean illegal immigration, grab a clue, it's been happening for DECADES. So your statement isnt even close to true. Clinton had illegal immigration - a flood. so did every president since the 1960s.
Why do you think they 'needed' amnesty in 1986? Because the illegals under Ford, Carter, Reagan were here in the US.
"It will be to his shame that he bowed to corporate interests and slave labor lobbies rather than protect American workers and taxpayers."
Another absurd statement. Bush tax cuts helped tax payers and the growing economy has been good for workers - 6 million new jobs and lowest unemployement rate in years.
http://freedomstruth.blogspot.com/
"Since January, businesses have created over 1.2 million new jobs. Over the past four quarters GDP has increased by 3.5 percent. Unemployment is at new lows. The "petabyte" economy that Gilder waxes poetic about has been like a supercharger... on a supertanker: It's boosting productivty at phenomenal rates, and plugging us into a global matrixed economy that, while it give economic nationalists the willies, is giving us low inflation, cheap goods, higher standard of living, and more and more economic opportunities each day."
"I am ashamed that I voted for him in 2000."
Your vote was fine and you oughtn't regret it unless you think Al Gore was the right man to handle 9/11 and terrorism (yikes!) ... what's loopey are your current irrational views that are not fact-based.
"We are witnessing the selling out of America by those who are supposed to be leading it."
Baloney, America's total worth is higher than ever.
Like *I* said, it's not like Lou Dobbs was the only one on this issue.
"The republicans are going to need every vote they can muster and you are not helping them. "
Yes, and it would *help* if we can just lay of the Bush-bashing for *just a while* and be rational and reasonable and recognize that the Republican Congress and Bush *did something good*.
Immigration laws will not be fixed by Democrats,
Today was a GOOD DAY for border security. if you just whine and rant when even *this* happens you wont get ANYTHING.
It's a perfect way to marginalize and split and gie us a Dem Congress that will pass the worst possible amnesty bill ...
"If there is no criticism of the policies of this administration, a rule needs to be put up stating that."
Criticism is fine, but not when it is based on misinformation, distortion and a desire to simply repudiate everything this administration has done, even when they do something good. JMHO.
Course she did. She voted for it for political cover.
When he does with this giant step in the right direction, you still can't find it in your heart to celebrate.
You calling Reagan a liberal? Afterall, Reagan was the one who instituted amnesty for illegals in this country.
The fact of the matter is, he did sign it and it makes you madder than hell. That's what's so funny about you Johnny One-Notes.
Take a chill pill. He's not up for re-election.
So you're disagreeing with the very guy that spearheaded this whole "movement"? LOL
Well, then Bush broke that compact by signing this bill to build this fence that Mexico was completely against and was gonna go to the United Nations to gripe and moan over. You should be happy about this.
But you're not alone here. There are others nearly as irrational as you and lacking historical perspective right on this thread.
It's just that the majority of conservatives whose minds have priority over feelings don't take any of you seriously.
If you're OK with the role you play here, don't let any of us thinkers get in your way....
What are you suggesting with your ill-informed, speculative statement?
Are you suggesting that we vote Democrat and get rid of these nasty GOP leaders? Or are you suggesting that we vote for some obscure, loser of a third party candidate and get rid of these nasty GOP leaders?
Because any way you slice your silly kool-aid posts, you seem to be coming out against voting for Republicans, and according to the founder and leader of this forum, that's pretty much anti-American.
And on that I agree. Is that what you are doing, ten? Rooting for the enemy??
I actually would be quite pleased about it all if the fence/wall would REALLY get built. However, considering all the free radicals/stubborn and spoiled children in this scenario, I have serious doubts that anything but lip service will be paid to this issue. Which will benefit elections, of course...
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