Thread: Rep. King disputes pricetag for border fence

http://link.toolbot.com/desmoinesregister.com/54688

Rep. King disputes pricetag for border fence
By JANE NORMAN
REGISTER WASHINGTON BUREAU


January 12, 2007

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Steve King, R-Ia., continues to be an advocate for
a border fence with Mexico approved by Congress, and today he rebuffed new
government estimates that it could cost as much as $49 billion.

The price tag, as well as opposition from some Texans, has given rise to
speculation that the fence approved in 2006 could be scrapped with Democrats
now in control of Congress.

King and Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said at a press conference that a recent Congressional Research Service report on the 700-mile double-layer fence vastly overstated the potential cost.

“It’s just a fence,” said Hunter. “It’s the kind of fence we build in every part of America every day.”

The Dec. 12 report by the nonpartisan organization, which is a research arm for Congress, said that the Army Corps of Engineers predicts the cost for building and maintaining the fence over 25 years would be from $16.4 million to $70 million a mile. That does not include land acquisition or labor.

In contrast, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated border fencing would cost $3 million a mile, or about $2 billion overall.

The research service said there was little detail on what the budget office included in that estimate.

The fence was approved when Republicans were in charge of Congress though with many Democratic votes, and was the only product of a year of intense debate over illegal immigration.

It’s not yet clear if Democrats will move to revoke the fence or block money for its construction, though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., voted against it.

Every member of the Iowa delegation who was in office in 2006 backed the fence.

King, who has developed a fence model, said he worked in construction for many years before his election to Congress, and he sees no basis for the higher estimates.

“Why the Corps of Engineers would put out a number like this, I can’t comprehend,” he said.

Hunter said that estimates of cost prepared for a congressional hearing last year by private contractors were much closer to the budget office estimate. He said the research service numbers were “pulled out of thin air by folks who were in the mindset of creating mission impossible.”

He said that the higher estimates were based in part on an earlier portion of fence constructed near San Diego that was much more costly because of lawsuits that had to be filed, and because of difficult terrain.

Maintenance would not be expensive, Hunter said. But the research service said the costs of fence maintenance could be higher than expected if significant portions of the border are fenced, thus reducing the number of areas where immigrants could cross the border and inviting attempts to breach the fence.

it could cost as much as $49 billion.

Yea if you give the bid to somone like Haliburton.

Give the contract to the lowest bidder in several states that don't hire illegal aliens!

Dixie

Originally Posted by Dixie

it could cost as much as $49 billion.

Yea if you give the bid to somone like Haliburton.

Give the contract to the lowest bidder in several states that don't hire illegal aliens!

Dixie

Ask Israel how much a good fence, between "good" neighbors would cost.

On Lou Dobbs, they said they don't know who among Congress members requested the CRS report - apparently this info is confidential - but, the report first surfaced in the San Francisco Chronicle. Hmmmmmm, now who do you think might have leaked this report, and the disinformation contained therein, to them?

The taxpayers paid for this estimate, that is obviously a LIE...didn't they????

They should not be allowed to keep anything secret! They should have to report on "who" asked for this information! Who basically asked them to sway the report ...THIS KIND OF BS NEEDS TO BE STOPPED!!!!!!

The Australians have a rabbit proof fence several times longer than the border between us and Mexico and it is just to preserve the crops. Their population is a fraction of ours. If they can do it we damn sure can.

Originally Posted by andyt

The Australians have a rabbit proof fence several times longer than the border between us and Mexico and it is just to preserve the crops. Their population is a fraction of ours. If they can do it we damn sure can.

So it's effective against ILLEGAL ALIEN RABBITS ?