I am pleased at what this bill does not contain. harmful policy riders that would have opened the door for American tax dollars to be spent on abortions for citizens of foreign nations. and those that would tie the hands of our military leaders in Iraq. However. I could not support this legislation due to the harm it causes to the completion of the border fence. which was authorized by Congress in the passage of the Secure Fence Act of 2006. Congress sent a clear message that a border fence should be constructed when it passed the Secure Fence Act. Specifically. it mandated the construction of 700 miles of fence along our southwestern border. Instead of building on this legislation. provisions in the omnibus increase bureaucratic roadblocks. create new restrictions for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). and repeal important measures that were signed into law in the 2006 bill. In particular. a provision in the omnibus gives DHS the discretion on whether or not to build a fence. essentially eliminating the central tenet of the Secure Fence Act. which specifies locations where a fence shall be built. I am also deeply concerned that restrictions included in the omnibus. such as eliminating the authority of DHS to identify additional areas for fencing at the end of 2008 and requiring an onerous analysis of each 15 miles of planned fencing. will essentially end the project before the fence will be completed. December 19. 2007 CONGRE In addition to this harmful language. a provision in the omnibus requires that in locations where a border fence will be constructed. DHS must abide by excessive consultation and reporting requirements. thereby placing further bureaucratic roadblocks in front of an already delayed process. This language will require DHS to consult with other Federal agencies.
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border fence