The adjutants general of many States are reporting that they were not involved in discussions about the deployment of the Guard to our borders. So what assurances are there that sending troops to the border wont hamper our ability to respond to the floods in New England. another Hurricane Katrina. or another natural disaster? The National Guard might be able to lend support to our border security. but that role must not be at the expense of the thousands of communities around the country that also depend on our Guard should disasters strike those towns or counties. Press reports indicate that the Guard men and women will not be empowered to arrest aliens who attempt to cross our borders. I cannot help but wonder if this move to detail guardsmen to our borders is a political stunt to look tough at the expense of the brave citizensoldiers who serve in the Guard. The President would not have to call out the National Guard to secure the borders if he had supported even someeven someof the- ninenine. nineseparate amendments that I have offered since September 11 to hire and train more Border Patrol agents. If these amendments had been adoptedI say. if they had been adoptedthe law enforcement agents would be in place right now helping to secure the borders. Instead. the administration has consistently opposed these efforts as unnecessary and extraneous spending. saying that those funds would expand the size of Government. When I included $400 million in the fiscal year 2002 Supplemental Appropriations Act for border security. the President refused to spend it saying: I made my opposition clear . . . Well spend none of it. That is what he said.
Keywords matched
border security Border Patrol