Posted by
Grampus on Saturday, October 07, 2006 2:13:01 PM
In my post of October 5th, I made the point that the border fence construction approved by recent legislation would never be built and rightly so. Well guess what? This article confirms my prediction. [Full Story Here] Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 6, 2006; Page A01
No sooner did Congress authorize
construction of a 700-mile fence on the U.S.-Mexico border last week
than lawmakers rushed to approve separate legislation that ensures it
will never be built, at least not as advertised, according to
Republican lawmakers and immigration experts.GOP leaders have
singled out the fence as one of the primary accomplishments of the
recently completed session. Many lawmakers plan to highlight their $1.2
billion down payment on its construction as they campaign in the weeks
before the midterm elections.
But shortly before recessing Friday, the House and Senate gave the Bush administration leeway to distribute the money to a combination of projects -- not just the physical barrier along the southern border. The funds may also be spent on roads, technology and "tactical" infrastructure" to support the Department of Homeland Security's preferred option of a "virtual fence."
Grampus