Thread: Border-fence plan raises Texas senators' hackles

Border-fence plan raises Texas senators' hackles

By Michelle Mittelstadt
The Houston Chronicle, September 20, 2006

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hea ... 99735.html

Washington -- A Senate plan to build 700 miles of border fencing hit a snag Tuesday when Texas' senators said the Department of Homeland Security and border communities, not Congress, should decide where the fence is built.

The objections by Republican Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn complicated plans by Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., to win passage this week of a bill intended to showcase to voters the GOP's commitment to border security. The House passed an identical fencing bill last week, with specific locations for the fence.

'I don't want Congress mandating where fences go,' Hutchison said. 'We have done a lot, and we're going to continue to work on border security, but we have to let the department put the resources where they are most needed.'

Cornyn agreed about the barrier along the Mexico border.

'For Washington to try to dictate to places like Laredo, Texas, exactly where fences need to be built is, to my mind, ludicrous,' he said.

Homeland Security officials are best positioned to determine how to deploy a mix of fences, electronic surveillance, Border Patrol agents and unmanned aerial vehicles, said Cornyn, who chairs the Senate immigration subcommittee.

The possibility that other senators would add sweeping amendments to the bill further clouded its prospects.

Some Republicans worried that Democrats would try to attach a broader immigration package that would create a guest-worker program and let undocumented immigrants work toward citizenship.

Also, Republicans eager to help agribusiness interests that are struggling to find workers might try to tack on an agricultural guest-worker program, according to Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Frist defended his effort to pass a border-security bill that fell short of President Bush's demand for a comprehensive immigration overhaul.

I think at the end of the day, the US Senate approved the House Bill which allows Congress to decide where the fence goes..94-0.

DHS can make recommendations to Congress, but obviously Congress is more trustworthy (if such a word can be used to describe any organization in DC) than DHS while Michael Chertoff is Secretary.

Does anyone know the outcome of this issue?

Those two fools need to shut up! This is not an interior decorating project. Put that darn fence up anywhere, it's better than stalling it any longer. A fence in the wrong place is better than no fence at all! Laredo, El Paso and Brownville all sound good to me. Make a 3 way split and get it done!!!!!!!!

The Senate has been sitting on this since last December. Get the lead out. Pass the fence NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay is just mad because her amnesty plan is not going to be passed. No more guestworker out of status illegal alien squatters.

Dixie

I would like to say I feel the rumblings of taking back our country. I would feel much more convinced, though if they would stop chasing their tails and fund and build the fences!


What part of, STOP THE INVASION, don't they understand!!!