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DemocRats to cancel border fence
Democrats will look again at the legislation mandating 698 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border and might seek to scrap the plan altogether when they take control of Congress next year.Rep. Bennie Thompson, Mississippi Democrat, told reporters this week that he expected to "revisit" the issue when he becomes chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee in the 110th Congress. Mr. Thompson said the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) new border enforcement program, known as the Secure Border Initiative or SBI Net – which includes monitors, cameras and other integrated surveillance systems – is a viable alternative to fencing. "We might do away with it, or look at [integrating it into] SBI Net," he said. "A virtual fence rather than a real one." President Bush and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff have voiced similar concerns about building the fence. DHS spokesman Russ Knocke told United Press International that in remote border areas, "virtual fencing ... is more advantageous," whereas "traditional fencing has a core role in our border security strategy ... especially in urban areas." "We're optimistic that working with Congress we'll get the flexibility to integrate traditional fencing into a seamless, high-tech border security system," Mr. Knocke said. Posted by: Jackal 2006-11-12 |
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