I know firsthand the complexities of the issues surrounding border security and immigration reform.  That is why I am saddened by the simplistic and sometimes caustic rhetoric regarding immigrants and immigration reform which is too often articulated in an attempt to fuel anti-immigrant sentiment.  The majority of all immigrants coming to this great country do so because they want to work, improve their and their families' opportunities for success, and reunite with their families.

I have continually expressed my concern over high-level violence along the border with drug trafficking criminals.  What the Border Patrol needs is more agents and more resources.  That is why I have introduced my Rapid Response Border Protection Act, H.R. 4044, which would meet these needs by providing critical resources and support for the men and women who enforce our immigration, customs, and other border laws.  The Border Patrol is our first line of defense against dangerous incursions into our country.  We must also acknowledge that our Border Patrol agents and law enforcement officials do an incredible job along the border, despite facing tremendous challenges which include lack of personnel, equipment, resources, and other types of support from this Republican Administration and Congress.

That is why Republicans must do more than simply and opportunistically give lip service to securing the border.  Since 9-11, House Republicans have rejected 7 Democratic amendments that would have strengthened our borders by increasing personnel and funding for necessary security measures.  If Republicans had not defeated these Democratic efforts to enhance border security over the last four years, there would be 6,600 more Border Patrol agents, 14,000 more detention beds and 2,700 more immigration agents on the border. Time and time again, Republicans have voted against measures which would improve border security and border patrol agents. We have to give the Border Patrol what it needs to secure the border.

Investors won’t put their money into the market unless they believe that the economy is headed in the right direction. Gas prices have dropped, housing starts are up, and the unemployment rate continues to be historically low. Democrats would like you to believe that the economy is going in the tank, but the numbers say otherwise.

Republican economic policies have given the American taxpayer more money to spend and save, and they are investing it back into the economy, causing it to grow. If the Democrats had their way, they’d raise your taxes and take that money out of your pocket, causing the economy to stall. Who do you trust to best spend your money – the government or the taxpayer? I’ll take the taxpayer every time.

The War on Terrorism is both a war of ideas and a war of information. Keeping America safe requires an aggressive approach to gathering intelligence by capturing, detaining and interrogating members of al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations around the globe. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 signed by the President today establishes a process to try captured terrorists for war crimes and sets clear parameters for C.I.A. interrogators, allowing them to continue their lifesaving work consistent with our international treaty obligations.

We must bring these dangerous people to justice and preserve our ability to continue collecting valuable intelligence. Military tribunals conducted under this new law will provide defendants with a fair trial, access to counsel and access to the evidence brought against them. At the same time, this legislation keeps vital intelligence out of the hands of terrorists.

It is important that the American people understand we face a determined enemy bent upon the destruction of our freedoms, our values and civilized life. Americans are different because we respect human life and the rule of law and believe liberty is a natural right of all mankind. Whatever rights we extend to the terrorists, we can be sure that they will not return the favor to our brave men and women actively engaged in the war on terror.

This President and the Republican lead Congress will continue to support legislation keeping America on the offense against terrorism so that we don’t suffer another devastating attack on American soil like we did on 9/11.

Yesterday, the President signed the Fiscal Year 2007 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law. This law authorizes $532.8 billion to fund our military. Most importantly, it provides $70 billion for the replacement of equipment that has been destroyed or rendered unusable in Iraq or Afghanistan and provides for a well deserved 2.2% pay raise for our men and women in uniform.

The funding in the FY2007 NDAA to replace equipment, however, is only intended to start the process and leaves many units still facing shortages. Unfortunately, this is one of the many consequences of the Administration's failing Iraq policy, which has placed our military in an untenable position.

I wish that funding was the only problem we had in Iraq. However, all the money in the world is not going to quell the spiraling violence we see there on a daily basis. Already this month, 70 U.S. trrops have lost their lives -- one of the deadliest months on record and we're merely halfway through. Our soldiers and Marines in Iraq face a country that is on the brink of civil war. Rather than starting to draw down our forces, as the Administration claimed would occur by the end of 2006, our military may have to send American forces back into areas that were supposed to have been fully turned over to Iraqi security forces. This is doing nothing to secure Iraq, let alone enable our military to also deter growing threats from North Korea and Iran.

Read more...

Today, President Bush signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006 into law. The measure creates a full and fair judicial process for the effective prosecution of illegal alien enemy combatants engaged in hostilities against the United States or its citizens. This legislation also protects American troops and intelligence agents engaged in authorized interrogations from frivolous civil lawsuits brought by terrorists by codifying and defining all serious violations of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Commissions.

We will continue to hunt down and capture dangerous individuals that seek to do us harm and as we do, it is critical that we ensure our ability to hold these unlawful enemy combatants responsible for their actions. This legislation provides the President and our military an important tool that will allow us to do just that.

We are fighting this war on a new type of battlefield with a new type of enemy. This enemy does not respect international standards and does not act in accordance with recognized laws of war. Therefore, we must create a new mechanism, based on the very standards that they fail to recognize, through which we can hold these individuals accountable while still ensuring basic fairness. The Supreme Court decision left the responsibility of deriving this mechanism to Congress and I am pleased that we were able create a system to bring justice to those responsible for committing these atrocities against America and its citizens. It is time that these terrorists face the consequences of their actions.

Today is a great day for America’s small and seasonal businesses!  President Bush has signed into law the 2007 Department of Defense authorization bill, which includes my provision that will extend for one year a crucial provision from my Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act, which saves small and seasonal businesses from a devastating cut to their workforce.

We won this by working together with small businesses and watermen fighting on the ground, and me fighting on Capitol Hill with my colleague, Senator John Warner (R-Va.).  I have been fighting for years to help good guy businesses and workers wade through the unfair procedures that were part of the H2B visa process.  This extension protects workers, and gives us another congressional session to keep up the fight until we make this cap exemption permanent.

I told small businesses they could count on me to keep fighting until we had a solution and they had the seasonal workers they needed to stay in business.  Without these seasonal workers, many businesses would not survive – forced to limit services, lay off permanent U.S. workers or, worse yet, close their doors.

President Bush and House Republicans remain committed to increasing national security and protecting American families. The 'Military Commissions Act' will further both these goals by maintaining the CIA interrogation program and creating an avenue for trying terrorists. To win the Global War on Terrorism, we must have all tools at our disposal. Strenuous interrogation of terrorists has led to the capture of al-Qaeda operatives and foiled attacks within the United States and overseas.

Unfortunately, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and her cohorts have chosen political opportunism above protecting America. Capitol Hill Democrats have repeatedly blocked Republican efforts to strengthen our national defense and make America safer.

There is a lot of convenient misinformation about this issue that needs to be put to rest.  This law does not, in any way, condone torture - far from it.  What it does is simply codify the CIA interrogation program, which has been effective in keeping Americans safe, while adhering to the guidelines of the Geneva Convention.  What I find disturbing is that so many Democrats voted against this important legislation.

Nancy Pelosi, who wants to be the next Speaker of the House, along with 159 of her colleagues voted against tough interrogation techniques and in favor of pampering terrorists like Khalid Sheik Mohammad, who coordinated the September 11th attacks.  It is truly disheartening to watch Democrats put partisan politics above the safety of our own citizens.  I'm glad the GOP led Congress held firm and did what it takes to protect America first and terrorists last.

The President signed two significant bills today - one I strongly support and one I oppose.  I'm happy to support the President when I think he's doing the right thing.  I'm sorry when I oppose him but I don't hesitate to do so when I think he's wrong.

President Bush urged and has now signed into law the FY 2007 National Defense Authorization Act that will ensure our men and women serving in harm's way will bring only the best in technology and equipment to the fight so they can complete their missions and come home safe.

He also signed a Military Commissions bill that I voted against.

The Great Writ of Habeas Corpus may be suspended only by an express act of Congress "when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it," under U.S. Constitution Article I, Section 9, clause 2.

Only four times before in our nation's history, twice during our Civil War and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, has the federal government suspended the right of  "habeas corpus," one of our Constitution's most fundamental rights.

Read more...