Bush urged to fund security

Washington Times ^ | 6/30/07 | By Stephen Dinan

[JohnHuang2]

Democrats and Republicans who blocked the Senate immigration bill this week say it's now time to focus on immigration law enforcement, and say President Bush should still find a way to pump $4.4 billion he promised into border security.

"There is a consensus that we must secure our borders and enforce our laws. So let's start there," said Sen. Elizabeth Dole, North Carolina Republican; while Sen. Wayne Allard, Colorado Republican, said Congress should "find common-sense solutions to the labor concerns we face in the agriculture industry and start doing what we all know needs to be done — secure the border and enforce our existing laws."

The bill fell apart on a 53-46 vote to block further action — 14 votes shy of the 60 needed to end debate and set a final up-or-down vote. Many senators credited the defeat to outraged voters, who continued even through yesterday, a day after the bill failed, to call Senate offices to demand senators vote against the already-dead measure.

Now, the House must decide whether to press forward. Yesterday, Democratic leaders were unsure. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said after next week's July Fourth holiday break they will "take stock of what the options are and go from there."

[SolidWood]

If Bush is seeking some sort of “legacy”, this is his chance.
Build the fence, already.

[bcsco]

This is a ping list promoting Immigration Enforcement and Congressional Reform.
If you wish to be added or removed from this ping list, please contact me.

Some links for your Saturday morning reading pleasure. NOTE: I will not be posting again until tomorrow a.m., followed by Monday a.m.

Immigrants still living in fear

The people killed amnesty (Comprehensive Invasion Reform and Amnesty Act of 2007 -- DEAD, FINALLY!)

U.S. Border Fence Protrudes Into Mexico (oops!)

Smuggling tunnel discovered near Mexico

What Immigration Fiasco Reveals (Star Parker On The Absence Of Clarity And Courage In DC Alert)

The Selfishness Of The "Chamber Of Commerce" Crowd On Illegal Immigration

NRO: Immigration Reform, for Real

[Auntie Toots]

Good for Elizabeth Dole...I hope she keeps up the good work.

[Tai_Chung]

Yes, build the fence!

If they insist on spending $1-2 million per mile, I want to see a fence like the Great Wall of China which was also built to keep out invaders.

[AmericaUnited]

If Bush is seeking some sort of “legacy”, this is his chance

Bush's legacy is already set. Iraq and SCOTUS.

[SolidWood]

I agree, but I meant a legacy on border/immigration, which he apparently was seeking. Instead making amnesty his legacy, he now has the chance to enfore existing laws and finally build the fence. I should have expressed it more clearly.

[kellynla]

Where’s the fence?

[mtbopfuyn]

We’ll never see a fence under El Presidente Jorge’s reign.

[iopscusa]

Yes, where is the DAMX FENCE! Fences have been built since the begiinning of CIVILIZATION...and if they were not successful in their intended purpose, we would not still be building fences 10,000 years later.
If Cherk-off cannopt do it, then get the Isreali’s to design and buil the fence...they are good at it.
LET’s GET IT DONE.

[Stallone]

BUILD IT, AND THEY WON'T COME

[Uncle Chip]

Democrats and Republicans who blocked the Senate immigration bill this week say it's now time to focus on immigration law enforcement, and say President Bush should still find a way to pump $4.4 billion he promised into border security.

Indeed it is time --- time to quit playing defense and go on the offense for that FENCE along the border. That FENCE properly constructed and enforced will reduce this problem to a trickle and eliminate the need for a National "papers please" ID.

Failure of G W Bush to build this FENCE at this point will speak volumes as to what he thinks of his duties under the Constitution, his oath of office, his respect for those who elected him, and his responsibility to the American people who have spoken loud and clear. The ball is now back in his court.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“If they insist on spending $1-2 million per mile, I want to see a fence like the Great Wall of China which was also built to keep out invaders.”

That is about right. It cost a million a mile for a road.

If anything, I would call in the Israelis to build the fence.

[drdirt333]

Bush and the open borders rats blacked mailed us with border security. Now they’re going to take their marbles and go home. There will be no meaningful border security. States and counties are taking the lead here, as it should be. My county sheriff can find and directly deport. We just need to fight our own government for the right to enforce our laws( isn’t that insanity?)

[EQAndyBuzz]

“We’ll never see a fence under El Presidente Jorge’s reign.”

Got news for you. You will never see a fence. The fence should have been built twenty years ago and even Reagan said not doing it was his biggest mistake. Let’s call him El Presidente Ronaldo. And El Presidente Jorge Sr. And El Presidente Bill. Now Jorge Jr.

The immigration bill or lack of it was another Social Security bill. Fires up the base and then it goes away. Read the papers. It isn’t even getting mentioned anymore. Look at this site. No more CALL YOUR SENATORS. TELL THEM TO FUND BUILDING THE FENCE NOW. Over, done.

We had a majority in both houses and couldn’t get a fence built. The President signed the bill. Yet nothing got done. Don’t blame the President. Blame a RINO congress who were more interested in their check books then the security of the nation.

President said he wanted an immigration bill. He didn’t get one. Just like Social Security.

[nyyankeefan]

the 4.4 billion was just part of the shamnesty....

the fence would never have been built if the shmnesty bill passed and jorge bush will certainly never build it now!!!

viva jorge bush...el presidente....de los mexicanos!!!

[taxed2death]

“Democratic leaders were unsure. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said after next week’s July Fourth holiday break they will “take stock of what the options are and go from there.”

Sure, the options are:
1. Border security

[Travis McGee]

"Border Reality 101"

This is what most of our southern border looks like: there is no government-built fence at all. There is often just whatever is left over from some forgotten cattle fence, built privately to keep U.S. cattle from wandering freely into Mexico. For hundreds of miles there is not even a broken cattle fence, there is nothing at all.

For comparison, below the broken cattle fence photo is a sample of an inexpensive but highly effective double border fence system, with a plowed strip to reveal footprints. This type of system is very cheap and can be built with great speed.

Here is what some of San Diego County has: a wall made of rusty Viet Nam-era runway mats. The corrugations are even horizontal, (to make climbing easier?)

Here is what the border looks like where the runway mat wall exists. Mexico begins on the other side of the ineffective rusty wall, which actually helps the smugglers, by hiding their movements until the occasional USBP vehicle has driven out of sight.

This is how "the game" is played. Smugglers hide on the other side of the wall with their dope and/or their illegals, out of sight of the USBP. They wait for the highly visible white BP vehicle to drive over the distant hills. Lookouts with cell phones and walkie-talkies report on the current locations of the BP units. They know with certainty that "the coast is clear" for an hour or two, and the smugglers and illegals hop the fence and run into the scrub only 50 yards away. From there, they are out of sight, and they walk 1-2 miles to holding houses. Then they wait for nightfall, and are picked up and driven in vans to LA or San Diego.

Next, we see the Duncan Hunter 15' fence, which is already being built along a few "showplace" miles of San Diego, mainly near the ports of entry, where panderng politicians can conveniently show it off to gullible reporters. As you can see, the rusty runway wall is seen at the left side, Mexico begins on the other side. In areas with the 15 foot fence, dope smugglers and illegals will have to cross the open sand ("the government road" as it is called) before starting to try to get over the 15 foot fence.

This new fence is extremely tough, and resists cutting. Attacking the fence would have to be done right out in the open, in full view of cameras. This type of fence, on the U.S. side of the government road, will give the USBP a barrier to patrol, instead of forcing them to chase illegals around 100,000 square miles of wide-open frontier land, which is a fool's errand. Everywhere this modern multiple fence system has been built, crossings by illegals drop to almost nil.

This ain't rocket science, folks. We're not talking about something like the Hoover Dam project, (which we managed to build 70 years ago). The world's last superpower, which put a man on the moon 35 years ago, can build a couple thousand miles of simple and effective fencing.

This is how it's being built in San Diego county, along the last 14 miles out to the ocean. The total cost of the entire fence from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific would be about 5 billion dollars, or what we spend medicating, hospitalizing, educating, and incarcerating illegal aliens just about every month. In other words, the fence would pay for itself immediately.

Or, we can continue our current policy.

[Earthdweller]

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the fence will cost $3.2 million a mile, Congress voted to hand DHS just $1.2 billion in fiscal year 2007 for construction. DHS needs to use half of it for other purposes besides the fence like technology and roadways. With say half of the 3.2 left what do you get...a little over 150 miles of fence? It's a down payment on 700 miles pal ....and you ain't getting no more now out of Congress till after the next Presidential election....

[Buzzm1]

K.I.S.S.-KEEPING IT SIMPLE SENATOR

WHERE THERE IS NO FENCE

THERE IS NO ENFORCEMENT

THERE IS NO IMMIGRATION REFORM

AND THERE IS NO RE-ELECTION