The Wall of Deception
It appears that the Great Wall Against Terrorists and Other Illegal Immigrants is a con. After approving the building of a 700 mile long wall along the southern border and authorizing $1.2 billion as a downpayment on its construction, Congress now admits that The Wall is more like a necessary sound-bite metaphor than an actual entity. From the Washington Post:
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 late 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."
What's more, in a late-night concession to win over wavering Republicans, GOP congressional leaders pledged in writing that Native American tribes, members of Congress, governors and local leaders would get a say in "the exact placement" of any structure, and that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff would have the flexibility to use alternatives "when fencing is ineffective or impractical."
...The split between GOP leaders hungry for a sound-bite-friendly accomplishment targeting immigration and others who support a more comprehensive approach also means that the fence bill will be watered down when lawmakers return for a lame-duck session in November, according to congressional aides and lobbyists. [Emphasis added]
After all the debating and town-hall-meeting, all that was accomplished in terms of immigration reform was a bit of smoke and mirrors, something to give the Republicans a talking point.
I suppose this bit of deceit will be judged as relatively harmless politicking during an election year, but it would have been nice if all the time wasted by Congress on this stupid wall issue might have been better spent on other issues, like a coherent budget, or a real Election Reform bill, or even oversight of the Congressional Page program.
Morons.
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 late 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."
What's more, in a late-night concession to win over wavering Republicans, GOP congressional leaders pledged in writing that Native American tribes, members of Congress, governors and local leaders would get a say in "the exact placement" of any structure, and that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff would have the flexibility to use alternatives "when fencing is ineffective or impractical."
...The split between GOP leaders hungry for a sound-bite-friendly accomplishment targeting immigration and others who support a more comprehensive approach also means that the fence bill will be watered down when lawmakers return for a lame-duck session in November, according to congressional aides and lobbyists. [Emphasis added]
After all the debating and town-hall-meeting, all that was accomplished in terms of immigration reform was a bit of smoke and mirrors, something to give the Republicans a talking point.
I suppose this bit of deceit will be judged as relatively harmless politicking during an election year, but it would have been nice if all the time wasted by Congress on this stupid wall issue might have been better spent on other issues, like a coherent budget, or a real Election Reform bill, or even oversight of the Congressional Page program.
Morons.
posted by Diane at 4:02 AM
1 Comments:
The Wall makes great cartoons, but not only is it being torn down in advance, an authorization doesn't equal an appropriation. The money isn't there.
from Ruth
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