Senator Cornyn pandering to Business money looks like we need to burn up his phone lines again. Corny says he supports the Dream Act!

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Senator says border wall not part of security plan

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_6559865


U.S. Sen. John Cornyn spoke Monday during a visit to El Paso. Cornyn gave a legislative update to about 100 people gathered at the offices of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce. (Photos by Rudy Gutierrez / El Paso Times)

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn addressed a variety of issues, including immigration reform, the case of two former El Paso Border Patrol agents sentenced to prison and the expansion of Fort Bliss during a visit to El Paso on Monday. (Rudy Gutierrez / El Paso Times)
Border security must come first, before other aspects of immigration reform, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Monday in El Paso.
Cornyn, who is running for re-election in 2008, gave a legislative update to about 100 business leaders and local officials at the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce.
The senator spoke about his support of the war in Iraq, the need for a bigger U.S. Army and Congress' low approval ratings, but the meeting quickly focused on border security.
"Fixing immigration is the single most important domestic challenge. But we've done it before. In 1986, amnesty came but enforcement didn't," Cornyn said. "We need to at least double the size of the Border Patrol. There are 10,000 Border Patrol agents. There are

40,000 police officers in New York City, but one fourth of that along a 2,000-mile border."
Such a stand is not overwhelmingly popular on the border where a daily cross-border back-and-forth is essential to business interests.
Indeed, the only room-wide applause during Cornyn's speech came after he said that increasing border security "would not entail a 2,000-mile wall on the border."

Martin Yung, president of JDW Insurance, said he liked hearing that.
"It's an issue that is vital to this community. I don't think walls work. I'm glad to hear that he is not for walls," Yung said.
Last month, Cornyn voted for a $3 billion measure to build 700 miles of fence and 300 miles of vehicle barriers and to beef up the Border Patrol.
Cornyn, who had spoken against border fencing in the Lina Arroyo, foreground, and other members of La Mujer Obrera tied themselves in plastic chains during a protest Monday outside the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce offices where U.S. Sen. John Cornyn spoke.
past, said in an interview Monday that he had not changed his mind, but that "in some places, urban areas where it's simply possible to come across and get lost in the city, some fencing is possible."
Outside the offices of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce in Downtown El Paso on Monday, a group of about 30 immigrants' rights advocates picketed.
"We're here because Sen. Cornyn has been one of the strongest advocates against a comprehensive immigration reform that includes legalization (of undocumented immigrants). His approach has been enforcement only," said Ruben Garcia, director of the Annunciation House, an immigrant shelter. "It is ironic that he is talking to the Chamber of Commerce when chambers of commerce around the country have been in favor of a reform."

Cornyn and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, both voted against the immigration reform bill in June.
In response to the protesters, Cornyn said he had been "an advocate for reform," but that the protracted bill that finally died in late June had been deeply flawed and lacked popular support. "That bill collapsed under its own weight," Cornyn said. "It was just a lack of trust from the American people that we were going to be able to deliver, especially on border security and interior enforcement."
He also said the Congress needs to rebuild the public's confidence with border security measures first.
"We're sort of in a credibility-building mode with border security," he said.

Cornyn said he recently co-sponsored an amendment to require the consultation of local, border entities before building border fences.
The senator also said he supported the DREAM Act, a bill that would allow the legalization of undocumented immigrant teenagers headed for college.
Cornyn also spoke, briefly, about the war in Iraq, now in its fourth year.
"We can't leave," Cornyn said. "There is too much talk about leaving Iraq and not enough talk about the consequences of leaving Iraq."
Among those consequences, Cornyn said Iran's and Hezbollah's influence would expand, a civil war would cost many Iraqi lives and a regional conflict would break out between Sunni-majority countries such as Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority countries such as Iran.
A recent Senate vote by Cornyn came into question Monday.
Tigua Gov. Art Senclair asked the senator why he voted "no" on the ethics reform bill last week.

The bill, making legislators disclose more information about earmarks and about the money they receive from lobbyists, passed anyway.
Cornyn said Monday that he felt the ethics bill fell short because it left a "gaping hole" when it came to the recording of earmarks.
Senclair said he was satisfied with the answer.
"If there's anything he can add to make things more transparent, I'm all for it," Senclair said.





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