DNC: Bush Fences In Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Right Wing Political Stunt Stays the Course on GOP Security Failures

“President Bush this morning will complete his definitive abandonment of comprehensive immigration reform by signing a flawed and politically driven enforcement- only Republican bill that mandates a fence on our southern border, but fails to fund its construction. The Republican Congress, in a political stunt designed to cater to the far right wing base of their party, authorized a border fence 700 miles long along a border that spans more than 2,000 miles, and even then appropriated only a small portion of the billions needed to build that fence. Adding to their hypocrisy in an election year, Congressional Republicans left in a provision that even allows small amounts of funding to be used on other programs.

Although the bill passed Congress several weeks ago, the do-nothing GOP congressional leadership held the bill until now, so that they could use the publicity for electoral gain heading into the upcoming elections. The bill signing ceremony also ends an intra-Party clash the White House lost, as the bill signing will now take place in a public ceremony, which the president had hoped to avoid.

“By abandoning comprehensive immigration reform and embracing election year political stunts, President Bush and Republicans in Washington have once again put the interests of their party above the interests of the American people,” said Democratic National Committee spokesperson Luis Miranda. “As much as the Republican Party wants to pretend they’ve done something to make our country safer, the fact is this political stunt will do nothing to secure America’s borders and will do nothing about the 12 million people working inside America’s borders today. Democrats remain committed to real and comprehensive immigration reform that’s both tough and smart.”"

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