Posted on 08/31/2016 7:56:07 PM PDT by TigerClaws
On October 26, 2006, U.S. President George W. Bush signed the Secure Fence Act of 2006 (Pub.L. 109–367) into law stating, “This bill will help protect the American people. This bill will make our borders more secure. It is an important step toward immigration reform."
The bill was introduced on Sep. 13, 2006 by Peter T. King (R-NY). In the House of Representatives, the Fence Act passed 283 -138 on September 14, 2006. On September 29, 2006 – the Fence Act passed in the Senate 80 -19.
The Secure Fence Act of 2006’s goal is to help secure America’s borders to decrease illegal entry, drug trafficking, and security threats by building 700 miles (1,100 km) of physical barriers along the Mexico-United States border. Additionally, the law authorizes more vehicle barriers, checkpoints, and lighting as well as authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to increase the use of advanced technology like cameras, satellites, and unmanned aerial vehicles to reinforce infrastructure at the border. Congress approved $1.2 billion in a separate homeland security spending bill to bankroll the fence, though critics say this is $4.8 billion less than what’s likely needed to get it built.
Proponents of the bill believe that it will diminish vehicle transport of illegal immigrants, encouraging those who want to enter the country to pursue legal channels or cover potentially hundreds of miles on foot and overcome a difficult obstacle. This should decrease the number of apprehensions of illegal immigrants, by physically reducing their numbers. It could also diminish the illegal drug trade pouring into the US from Mexico as well as provide additional protection from terrorist entry into the country.
Was Bill Clinton in 1995?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3yesvvYEvs
Of course she did! She also voted for our current DECADE-LONG ‘war’ with Iraq!
Now, quit confusing her VOTERS with the FACTS, D@mmit! ;)
This is reminiscent of the Wolman Skating Rink that NYC messed around with for years and years, spending mega millions. Finally Trump got tired of looking at the mess, volunteered to complete the project (Democrats sneered), paid for it himself and got it done in a few months.
Build the wall and make the Clinton Foundation pay for it!
She voted for the Iraq war; Trump opposed it.
She’s for TPP; Trump is against it.
Those are two key issues (so they say) for Democrats.
For the ‘never Trumpers’: She’ll select Supreme Court judges that’ll destroy the 2nd Amendment. Trump’s already listed his potential picks.
THIS!
I knew the legislation was already there for the “fence/wall” .. what I want to know is:
What has to happen to have the funds to actually build it ..??
Anybody know ..??
Bush chose not to build it. Instead his administration spent 1 billion on a contract with Boeing to build a “virtual” fence covering only 53 miles of the 2000 mile border. It was an abysmal failure and too expensive to ever cover the entire border. It wasted time during the last 3 years of his administration when the money could have been used to construct a physical barrier, that would still exist, over many more miles of the border.
The virtual fence was nothing more than a delaying action by an open borders administration that didn’t want to build a real barrier. It was also a great example of crony capitalism with Boeing lapping up $1 billion of taxpayer dollars for a bunch of overpriced high tech equipment incapable of accomplishing the mission.
The Obama administration rightly canceled the virtual fence in 2011.
Another George W. Bush failure. Had he spent the billion dollars on a physical wall there would be hundreds of miles of protected border in place. Instead, the national debt is $1 billion higher and we have nothing to show for it other than higher profits for Boeing. It would be interesting to examine how many Bush staffers working on this failed venture got jobs with Boeing after Bush left office.
Excellent post and summary.
Also shows why we need Trump.
Well .. I never knew that. But .. my guess is that the DEMOCRAT CONGRESS would not FUND it.
So you can blame Bush (which is more convenient and easier), or you can check deeper to find out that the Congress CONTROLS THE PURSE STRINGS .. and I can guarantee you THE DEMOCRATS DID NOT WANT A FENCE (OR A WALL) .. because they wanted to continue the influx of immigrants - or new voters for the DemocRATS.
Also remember, GW Bush’s father was a leader of the “elitist” Republicans .. the same group who are hyper-ventilating over Trump today. At that time, they might have agreed to the fence, but I don’t believe they ever intended to fund it.
But, it’s easy to blame Bush .. everybody else did.
And .. the very fact that the legislation is already there will make it easier for Trump to get it done .. but he too will have to fight Congress on funding it.
“Well .. I never knew that. But .. my guess is that the DEMOCRAT CONGRESS would not FUND it.”
The “virtual wall” concept was developed by the Bush administration in 2005 as a substituted for the physical fence preferred by many members of Congress.
The Republican Congress approved funding for a border fence in 2006. The money was appropriated by the GOP Congress in 2006 and the Democrat Congress in 2007 and 2008. Bush chose to spend the $1 billion appropriation on the 53 mile virtual fence instead of hundreds of miles of physical barrier.
This one can’t be blamed on the Democrats. The Bush administration was given the money. They chose how to spend it. As I recall G.W. Bush was in favor of amnesty. He couldn’t get his amnesty plan through a Congress that wanted to expand the physical barrier along the border. Instead of executing the desires of the people’s representative he chose to waste a billion dollars of the people’s money on unproved technology and a nonexistent wall. An honest leader would have:
1) Executed the fence or,
2) Vetoed the bill or,
3) Dragged his feet and did nothing.
He did the worst thing - wasted the people’s money. Bush was and is a crony capitalist.
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