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Friday, September 29, 2006

Congress Passes Border Security Legislation

Hmm…

CAPITOL HILL The Senate has passed and sent to President Bush a bill authorizing 700 new miles of fencing on the southern border.
The price tag for the fencing is unknown, but a separate bill makes a one-point-two (b) billion dollar downpayment on it. A 14-mile segment of fence under construction in San Diego is costing 126 (m) million dollars.

The fence bill was passed by the House two weeks ago. The Senate vote on it Friday night was 80-19. The legislation became House Republicans’ immigration focus in September after they abandoned President Bush’s call to bring millions of illegal immigrants into the American mainstream.

For North Dakotans, it’s interesting to note that both Conrad and Dorgan voted in favor of this bill despite the fact that their colleague Earl Pomeroy voted against it in the House.

Anyway, I think what we need to ask ourselves is whether or not this represents an actual commitment to border security from Congress (particularly Senate Republicans).  Is it enough?  If more is needed will we get it?  Or is this just something to placate security-minded voters in the GOP base right before an election?  Is it maybe just something Republicans can point to when they start pushing for guest worker programs and amnesty for illegal immigrants after the elections?  Will they tell us, “See, we gave you border security, now let’s legalize the illegals”?

I guess time will tell, but it is at least a step in the right direction.

Comments

Avatar for gregdn

Rob:
The trick will be whether they fund it or not.  Last I heard there was no money earmarked.
I think the fact that so many Dems voted for it shows how truly bipartisan this issue is.

gregdn on September 30, 2006 at 06:15 am
Avatar for gregdn

Oops!  Hadn’t heard about the funding bill.

gregdn on September 30, 2006 at 06:16 am
Avatar for WOOF

Immigration legislation gets better mileage
when you don’t drive it.

According to the study released this week by the Pew Research Center, between 45 percent and 50 percent of the estimated 12 million unauthorized migrants in the United States have entered the country with legal visas, most of them by air or through U.S. government border crossings.

WOOF on September 30, 2006 at 06:48 am

we don’t need a fence… we need a big, depressing wall.  something that they can’t just cut through or climb over.  a fence sounds nice, but i really don’t see it doing that much good.


"No Sane man will dance.”—Cicero

Daniel on September 30, 2006 at 08:56 am

I wonder how many illegal immigrants the Pews actually interviewed, and why they didn’t turn them in?


Hope and change, in a free world, are the private possessions of motivated individuals.

robert108 on September 30, 2006 at 08:58 am

Yep, that is a clear violation of federal immigration law. You know the identity and where abouts of an illegal, you are bound by law to report it. Is that not what Democrats have been pushing as far as employers go? How does Pew skate on that?


Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

2Hotel9 on September 30, 2006 at 12:22 pm
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