GOP Conflicted Over Decision to Freeze Funding on Virtual Border Fence
Posted on Thursday, March 18 @ 10:41:27 EDT
Topic: Republican GOP Republicans immigration
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 Though a host of technical glitches has
undermined the effectiveness of a virtual fence securing the U.S.
border, Republicans who are tough on border security appear conflicted
by the Homeland Security Department's decision to divert cash away from
the multibillion-dollar program.
Though a host of technical glitches has undermined the
effectiveness of a virtual fence securing the U.S. border, Republicans
who are tough on border security appear conflicted by the Homeland
Security Department's decision to divert cash away from the
multibillion-dollar program.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced Tuesday that
she will freeze all funds to expand the virtual fence program along the
U.S. border with Mexico, Instead, she said, $50 million in stimulus
money will be redirected to commercially available security technology,
like remote video surveillance and mobile radios, cameras and laptops.
March 17, 2010
Fox NEWS
"Not only do we have an obligation to secure our
borders, we have a responsibility to do so in the most cost effective
way possible," Napolitano said in a press release. "The system of
sensors and cameras along the Southwest border known as SBInet has been
plagued with cost overruns and missed deadlines."
But some Republicans, including Rep. Harold Rogers of Kentucky,
claim Napolitano is scrapping one plan without instituting another.
"I’m all for securing our border, but haphazardly pulling the rug
out from underneath SBINet to fund some other unplanned projects
suggests were back to throwing money at problems, not relying on
strategic decisions on utilizing the taxpayers’ money," said Rogers,
ranking member of the House Appropriations subcommittee on homeland
security.
"I want to know what she plans to replace the program with," Rogers
said in an interview with FoxNews.com on Wednesday. "She stopped this
funding without notifying Congress, who appropriates the funds, with
what she plans to do."
The virtual fence, unveiled by the Bush administration in November
2005 and known within the government as SBInet, was intended to monitor
most of the 2,000-mile southern U.S. border by 2011; it currently
covers only a portion of Arizona's boundary with Mexico.
The multibillion-dollar project, built by The Boeing Co., deployed
a network of cameras, ground sensors and radar systems designed to let
a small number of dispatchers watch the border on a computer monitor,
zoom in with cameras to see people crossing and decide whether to send
Border Patrol agents to the scene.
But technical glitches and delays have cast doubt on SBInet's
effectiveness. The radar system, for example, had trouble
distinguishing between vegetation and people when the weather was
windy, and the satellite communication system took too long to relay
information in the field to a command center.
Two months ago, Napolitano ordered a reassessment of the project.
The House Homeland Security Committee will assess the program when it
convenes on Thursday, and a GAO report expected later this week will
review the cost and feasibility of the project that has so far cost the
government $672 million.
William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration PAC,
called the project "as dumb as a virtual prison or virtual fence around
the White House."
But some lawmakers say they aren't giving up on the concept,
especially in light of escalating drug-related violence along the
Mexican border.
Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., who advocates a virtual fence, said
he's withholding judgment on Napolitano's decision until he and other
Republicans on the committee meet with her early Thursday.
"I am aware of the fact that Boeing has had some difficulties in
bringing this program together -- I don't think there's any doubt about
that," Lungren said in an interview with FoxNews.com. "If what she is
doing is saying we need to take a breath here and look at this, I don’t
have a problem with that so long as it is not 'fait accompli.'"
Republican Sen. John McCain, meanwhile, has applauded Napolitano's
decision, saying he was pleased that the homeland security secretary
"has decided to instead turn to commercial available technology that
can be used to immediately secure our border from illegal entries. I
have been calling for congressional oversight and administrative action
on this issue since it became clear that SBInet was a complete
failure."
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