Republicans Introduce Bill to Secure Border on Federal Lands, Protect Environment
by Hugh Holub on Apr. 25, 2011, under environment water and energy, politicsRepublicans Introduce Bill to Secure Border on Federal Lands, Protect Environment
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 13, 2011 – Today, House National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT), House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA), Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter T. King (R-NY), Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), and House Republican Conference Secretary John Carter (R-TX) introduced H.R. 1505, the National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act, to prohibit the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) from using environmental regulations to hinder U.S. Border Patrol from securing our border on federal lands.
The legislation would ensure Border Patrol, not federal land managers, have operational control of our borders.
Unfortunately, federal land managers are using environmental regulations to prevent Border Patrol from accessing portions of the 20.7 million acres along the U.S. southern border and over 1,000 miles of the U.S.-Canada border.
Border Patrol agents are consistently unable to use motorized vehicles to patrol these areas or place electronic surveillance structures in strategic areas. As a result, our federal lands have become a highway open to criminals, drug smugglers, human traffickers and potentially terrorists. This has led to escalated violence and also caused destruction of the environment.
On Friday, April 15th the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands and the Security, Homeland Defense, and Foreign Operations Subcommittee will hold a joint oversight hearing titled “The Border: Are Environmental Laws and Regulation Impeding Security and Harming the Environment?” to examine this issue.
“This legislation takes the necessary and responsible steps to address the unacceptable restrictions that prevent Border Security experts from doing their jobs. Allowing public land managers and restrictive environmental policies, not Border Security experts, to dictate how we secure our nation’s borders and keep our country safe is counterintuitive, and as a result, has jeopardized the safety and security of all Americans. The federal lands along our border are a haven of criminal activity and the same environmental policies that are supposed to be protecting the lands are actually allowing them to be destroyed. In fact, what benefit these regulations are actually providing remains a mystery. I have seen firsthand the damage that has been done to our federal lands from trash, foot traffic and man-made fires. Providing Border Patrol with the necessary access to deter and apprehend those who cross through our federal lands illegally would deliver the greatest benefit to both national security and the long-term health of our federal lands,” – Subcommittee Chairman Bishop.
“We cannot allow the Obama Administration’s Interior Department to use environmental regulations to hinder front-line Border Patrol agents’ critical mission of securing our border from illegal immigrants, including potential terrorists. The current, senseless practice fails to protect our federal lands, which see a constant flow of illegal immigrants carelessly crossing them. It also fails to protect our homeland, which remains vulnerable to terrorists who seek to take advantage of unpatrolled Interior-managed lands.” – Chairman King
“The Government Accountability Office recently reported that less than half of the U.S.-Mexico border is under the ‘operational control’ of the Border Patrol. At the same time, the Administration has prevented the Border Patrol from accessing federal lands in the name of environmental preservation. This misguided decision has a two-fold effect. Because the Border Patrol is prohibited from securing federal lands, drug smugglers and human traffickers trample the earth and terrorize communities. And because the border remains porous, illegal immigrants continue to come to the United States. This doesn’t make sense, but our bill does. The American people – not the plants – need to be protected now. And by stopping the illegal activity along the border, we will preserve wilderness areas for future generations to enjoy.” – Chairman Smith
“Chairman Bishop’s bill is focused on the goals of protecting our environment and keeping our country safe. This bill would end the federal agency turf war along the border. It’s a common sense solution that I hope will have bipartisan support. I commend Rob Bishop for his determined pursuit of this vital national security and environmental issue.” – Chairman Hastings
“For one federal agency to prevent a second federal agency from doing its congressionally-mandated job in order to appease a third federal agency is the definition of dysfunctional government, and why there is such a thing as congressional oversight. Our Border Patrol officers are the best in the world at their job and will protect our citizens if we will simply do our job as legislators to remove the federal red tape that is preventing them from securing federal lands.” – House Republican Conference Secretary John Carter (TX-31)
National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act:
Prohibits the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture from taking action on public lands which impede border security.
Authorizes Secretary of Homeland Security to have immediate access to any public lands managed by Federal Government for purposes of securing border.
Border Patrol agents would have access to maintain and construct roads, construct fences, use vehicles to patrol and set up surveillance equipment.
Exercises same environmental waiver authority found in the Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 that Congress extended to DHS Secretary Chertoff in 2008 to construct U.S.-Mexico border fence. Through that authority, prevents environmental regulations from impeding Homeland Security’s ability to have operational control of the U.S. border.
GAO confirms federal environmental laws and federal land managers hinder securing our border
Rancher tells Congress the way it really is down at the border
DHS testifies at same hearing as border rancher…compare the view of the border situation
Arizona Rancher Blows Away Bureaucrats at Border Hearing
What does “securing the border” really mean?
Restore our Border plan from the Arizona Cattle Growers Association
Senators Kyl and McCain propose new border security plan
Utah Congressman Bishop seeks greater security for the border…not Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva
Probationary Presence…another Immigration Law Reform Proposal
Illegal entry and drug smuggling in perspective…what if all this was going on in your front yard?
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April 25th, 2011 on 2:12 pm
THE LIES ABOUT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENTSince the 1986 Immigration Control and Reform Act, who has ever been in power has lied to the US people? Just enough laws have been passed, to make it seem that President Obama, George Bush back to Ronald Reagan, has promised to secure fully the border, to enforce immigration laws, but truthfully nothing serious as ever been done? All the laws enacted, were made to be broken, underfunded still leaving access to cheap labor for Republicans and more votes for liberals and Democrats; legal or illegal. E-Verify was nearly killed by Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and the true 2006 Secure Fence Act, less than a 6 months later Texas Republican Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn pushed for “flexibility to choose other options instead of fencing, if needed.” Politicians adamantly vowed to keep America safe. The law specifically called for “at least 2 layers of reinforced fencing, topped with concertina barbed razor wire with the installation of additional physical barriers, patrol roads, lighting, cameras and sensors” at five exact regions of border totaling approximately 700 miles.Six months after passage of the Secure Fence Act, the border fence initially planned to be 700 miles, had shrunk to around 370 miles. The so-called Border fence shows utter incompetence or very strong reluctance to keep the border—CLOSED—no matter the consequences to the people? The illegal alien invasion could be cut to a trickle, by constructing the double layer border fences as originally commissioned. Then adding 5000 military of either National Guardsman or US Army along the along the fence perimeter, saving billions of dollars in the interior of America.RINO SENATOR’S HUTCHISON, CORYN AND OTHER PRO ILLEGAL ALIEN LIARS HAD DESIGNS TO GUT, UNDER FUND THE SECURE FENCE ACT BEFORE IT EVEN PASSED!! IT WAS ALL A PROVEN LIE TO PLACATE VOTERS BEFORE THE 2006 MID TERM ELECTIONS. THE BORDER FENCE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST LIES PLAYED UPON THE GULLIBLE AMERICAN PEOPLE.Nothing has changed, just the majority of the people overseeing the border. But we have a choice now. The usual Rino’s and the Arch Liberals, hiding beneath the cloak of Democrats, are not fully in charge anymore. It’s impossible to count the millions of Americans who have turned to the National and local TEA PARTY, hoping to save America from the greed and political power brokers. The criminals are still crossing the border, where there are hundreds of miles of no fence. Open areas of land, where the US Border Patrol are not allowed to enter, without permission from the US government. Packing AK 47, ordinary illegal peons are forced a gunpoint to carry drugs for the Cartels, or are engineering new routes for illegal immigrants to enter our country. Even some of the regions inside America are prohibited land, because of the dangers of confrontation with criminal aliens.The interior of our nation has become an infestation of foreign nationals, stealing jobs, stealing education from our own children, stealing Medicaid from our own impoverished people. They are stealing hundreds of billions of dollars annually in public entitlements, in unemployment benefits in some states, in workers compensation. They come here ready to conceive their foothold babies, so they can take advantage of citizen subsidies. They cross the border or fly in to take advantage of our mandated health care system. Then we wonder while our national debt of 14.5 trillion dollars is still mounting? Continually–each day we hear of illegal aliens drunk, mowing down pedestrians, homicides, kidnappings, home invasions, assaults, child molestations and other heinous criminal acts. Our jails and prisons are overflowing, because the Dems and Republicans are refusing to seal the border tight and therefore they are to blame for the daily acts of terror happening across America.THE AMERICAN PEOPLE MUST DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES, IF THEY BELIEVE IN THE SHADOW ADMINISTRATION IN THE US GOVERNMENT, THE LIBERALS PROGRESSIVES AND EXTREMISTS IN ACADEMIA OR THE GROWING MOVEMENT OF THE NATIONAL TEA PARTY AND HUNDREDS OF GRASS ROOT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PRO-SOVEREIGNTY AND THE ENFORCEMENT TO THE “RULE OF LAW.”We need a uniform plan to hire the highest skilled, that are not available in this nation’s workforce. These will be skilled newcomers who will not fall upon the US taxpayer, to pay their way. With the terrible gloomy picture of a 14 Trillion deficit bearing down on US taxpayers, with an unceasing movement of economic illegal aliens slipping past our borders, we are in a very poor State of affairs. Foothold families with 14th Amendment citizenship for their children are one of the most expenditure befalling this nation. No real dollar numbers really exist, except for the statement of Los Angeles City manager, Michael Antonovich “Illegal immigration continues to have a catastrophic impact on Los Angeles County taxpayers,”. “The total cost for illegal immigrants to County taxpayers exceeds $1 billion a year – not including the millions of dollars for education.” Any form of Amnesty in no matter what form it comes in, is an automatic magnet for the indigent of foreign countries and this must desist. The TEA PARTY will oppose or rescind any laws, contrary to the “Rule of Law”, which includes Volume Immigration reform, Sanctuary states, Dream Acts and Chain Migration. ITS EASY TO FIND THE NEAREST TEA PARTY WERE YOU RESIDE BY GOING TO http://www.freedomconnector.org/ STATES THAT PANDER TO THE ILLEGAL ALIEN OCCUPATION WILL LEARN THE HARD WAY; JUST AS THE STATES OF CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA HAVE BEEN BRANDED SANCTUARIES. UTAH WILL BE THE THIRD STATE TO GET THIS UNSAVORY LABEL IN THE SOUTHWEST, IF THE DOJ ERIC HOLDER’S IN WASHINGTON REMAIN IN A STARK SILENCE TO UTAH ENACTING AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL GUEST WORKER PROGRAM.Under Obama’s presidency and his Leftist henchman or the upper echelon of Republican leadership, the push for mass amnesty will continue. Every American who sees this as a threat to over population, absolute insane expenditures, overcrowded schools, health care any number of major problems foreseen in our future should join the TEA PARTY. The TEA PARTY numbers now are in the tens of millions and still climbing. People are seeing this political party as the only possible release from the grip of the Liberals and Rino’s. Its truthful challenge is Limited Federal Government, Our Individual Freedoms, Our Personal Responsibility, Markets that are free, but fair and Returning Political Power to the States and the People.Attn: Whether in fact billionaire Donald Trump is running, he is bring up some major points of interest to the American people, that other candidates stay clear off? Trump is a bit of an egotist, but he loves his country and owes no favors to lobbyists or criminal money brokers. That if this country, has more oil and natural gas than anywhere on Mother Earth, why are we paying $4.00 or perhaps $6.00 dollars in our near future. Oil–we aided Saudi Arabia when Iraq attacked the country during the GULF WAR–what do we have to show for it, dead girl and boy GI’s, and now they are disrupting America, but cutting back on supplies. Drill in Anwar Alaska, The Gulf and wherever it is available. To–HXXX with the environmentalists! Why are we subservient to the environmentalists, which are upset because of the partial border fence that is disrupting wild life, but concealing the hills of debris and filth left behind by decades of illegal aliens crossing onto our soil? This year from our growing massive deficit, we owe China $300 billion dollars in just interest, when once they were the lender? This country must close of the purse to the Lefts Obama administration, no matter how painful as we are currently carrying the financial burden of foreign governments and their people.NAFTA and CAFTA have been poorly negotiated, just as if our trade representatives instead of working for America were secretly in the employ of China, Mexico, and India and others. Currently we are cutting our own throat by buying cheap inferior products and killing our own industries. Thousands of American companies have moved across the border or abroad and we are buying the tax free goods, with no penalties. In many cases our government has given American firms incentives to move overseas, while companies around the country have closed down, with the loss of millions of jobs. Have you even noticed, it’s almost impossible to buy something Made in the USA? Listen to Donald Trump, because out of the bunch of potential candidates, he is the only one that is telling us the raw truth.