Speech #1090129441

So I dont want this to be just purely partisan. This is not a Republican or a Democrat issue. This is an American issue. and this President and the Republican leadership of this Congress. not all the Republicans in the Congress. are clearly out of step. for they have broken the promise made on funding for additional Border Patrol agents. Quite honestly. Mr. Ross. we need at least three times as many agents. Immigrant enforcement agents and detention beds. Specifically in 2004 Congress enacted the 9/11 act. the Intelligence Reform Act. for those watching CSPAN and want to check it. it is Public Law 108458. which mandated an additional 2.000 Border Patrol agents being hired over each of the next 5 years. Yet for this fiscal year 2006. this Republicanled Congress has funded only 1.000 additional agents. Is it any wonder that our own citizens are taking it upon themselves. called Minutemen. to patrol our borders. because our government is letting them down. and it is clear in this budget. We funded only 1.000. The 9/11 act also mandated an additional 800 immigration enforcement agents over the next 5 years. Yet in this FY 2006 budget the Congress has funded only 350 additional agents. It mandated an additional 8.000 detention beds. yet in the 2006 budget the Congress funded only 1.800 additional beds. So it is no wonder that they are having difficulty getting this budget increased. Now. let me just say on this point of immigration. because I want everybody to understand exactly where this Congressman is coming from. earlier tonight I was watching on TV the Asian Pacific Caucus on this floor. It was a very moving presentation by them about the contributions that the Japanese Americans and Asian Americans have made. and particularly the Japanese Americans. particularly during World War II as their people were being interned in camps. Yet. similar to African Americans. they still fought for this country in the face of tremendous bigotry and odds. because they wanted to show we are Americans. That is what this immigration fight is about. Yes. we want to secure the boarders. but it is about being Americans. I was just in Miami.