There’s a lot of talk about a border wall from the White House these days, so it’s helpful to see what’s there already and the gaps that need to be filled.
It’s crazy that Democrats Chuck and Nancy are complaining about the border security project so much, but Pelosi wants to be the Speaker of an increasingly left-wing Democrat caucus, so she has to act extra-tough against the Trump’s Wall.
Fox News’ William La Jeunesse reports where border barriers exist now, as well as remarks from Democrat presidents in the past regarding walls against illegal immigration. The upshot: Democrats spoke favorably about border walls in the past when it was their idea — but now they reject them because Dems don’t want to give the hated President Trump a win.
WILLIAM LA JEUNESSE: When someone wants money you say, ‘What’s it for?’ We don’t know exactly what the $5 billion buys. Currently the border has 650 miles of barrier, about half of that only stops cars and some of the rest barely stops people. So you see the vehicle barrier there and the old stuff — well, it’s old, rusty and short. Homeland Security says $5 billion will build 215 miles of wall, likely bollard-style fence, five miles San Diego, 14 in El Centro, 27 in Yuma, nine in El Paso, 55 Laredo, and 104 miles in the Rio Grande Valley.
But, does it replace the old fence? Is it a secondary fence or is it new fence, meaning additional miles? We don’t know. How much is spent on cameras, sensors and drones — ICE, Border Patrol agents don’t know. We asked the White House, Congress, we got nothing, even this morning. So is this fight about money or politics?
This year Congress will spend $5 billion in aid to Afghanistan. $11 billion on green energy subsidies. $14 billion on earmarks. Democrats say they oppose a wall, yet from President Clinton through Barack Obama, Congressional Democrats built miles of border wall.
PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: It is wrong and ultimately self-defeating for a nation of immigrants to permit the kind of abuse of our immigration laws we have seen in recent years and we must do more to stop it.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: The bill before us will certainly do some good. It will authorize some badly needed funding for better fences and better security along our borders.
LA JEUNESSE: Remember, Bill, in 2006 majority of Senate Democrats voted for 700 miles of double fencing no different in design today from what President Trump calls a wall.
