Bennie Thompson on Lou Dobbs re: Border Fence
REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D), MISSISSIPPI: I’m glad to be here, even though your premise is absolutely wrong.
DOBBS: Let’s get to that. I say the Department of Homeland Security should be securing the homeland and doing it fast. You as the chairman of Homeland Security Committee in the House should be making that job easier, not more difficult.
THOMPSON: Let me tell you how I’ve made it more easy, Lou.
DOBBS: OK.
THOMPSON: As a Democratic chairman, I pushed through $3 billion for border security. We have 15,000-plus agents working along the border going towards 16,000. That’s what we have to do. We have equipment. We have all those things going on. But you know we have to follow the law.
DOBBS: We have to follow the law and the law does permit Secretary Chertoff to carry out waivers on those laws to get it done. And in point of fact, as you know, the United States Congress laid down a law that this fence would be built.
It is, by the way, I think it’s demonstrably effective unlike some of the people who are signing on with this amicus curiae that will be filed with the Supreme Court apparently over the next week. The fact is it must work because they’re fighting hard against the fence, Mr. Chairman.
THOMPSON: Well I think what people want to do is to follow the law. Some of those waivers do way with the clean water act, they’ll do away with clean air; they’ll endanger cemeteries, religious institutions. So there are some things that we’ve had in law for years that we need to protect. What I’m trying to do, along with others is to say to the secretary, just follow the laws. We’ve given you the money. All you have to do is carry out the law.
DOBBS: It’s that a hollow and false order because you know it can’t be done expeditiously and effectively because it could be tied up in court for literally decades, Mr. Chairman, and isn’t it also true that your committee has not once taken into consideration 25 million pounds of waste and damage to the environment along the border with Mexico? There’s been no step taken or any step urged by your committee for either the border patrol, customs, the bureau of reclamation, the Department of Homeland Security to do anything with that.
In point of fact, we’re sitting here waging a war on illegal drugs along that southern border. Let’s leave illegal immigration out of it. That obviously is a point that apparently is favored by the members of the 14 congressman who are going to be advancing their interest.
The fact is that Mexico remains the primary source of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and marijuana into this country and your committee continues to permit those drugs to enter the country. It’s not all of the fight of the war on drugs. It’s an important, just absolutely vital element of necessarily combating those drugs.
THOMPSON: Well Lou, I want you to understand one more time, my committee gave $3 billion towards border security, more than in the history of the committee before I became chairman. I’ve made border security a priority.
Now for your information, we’re talking about the waiver on building the fence. We’re not talking about any of those other issues. I have for you, since you have sometimes difficulty understanding —
DOBBS: I have limited comprehension, I couldn’t agree with you more.
THOMPSON: I have 36 items that the waiver would do. If we’ve used these laws to build dams, to build nuclear plants, to build power generation facilities, military bases, why can’t we use the same laws to do the fence? That’s what I’m saying, follow the law. We need to protect the property rights of citizens.
DOBBS: I’m saying it straightforwardly. Your committee and everyone opposing the construction of the fence is putting the lives of young Americans at risk because you’re not fighting with every resource at your disposal those people who would bring those illegal drugs into this country and the majority of those drugs are entering across that border.
THOMPSON: Well, Lou —
DOBBS: Well? That’s what you say to the death and destruction of all those young American lives?
THOMPSON: All you have to do is look at the fact. On my committee, we’ve made money, appropriated and authorized for it. We’ve done the right things. We’ve put more people, more equipment but we need a border security plan. We need a strategy. That strategy could include physical barriers.
It also should include more boots on the ground, but it also should include technology. But it has to be a strategy. It shouldn’t be run out there and ignore property rights of individuals. This is a country of laws. What we need to do —
DOBBS: A country of laws? You haven’t secured the border. 95 percent of the cargo coming into ports is uninspected and you’re telling me we’re a nation of laws?
THOMPSON: That’s right and you know why? Because I passed the Law House Bill One.
DOBBS: I do know why, because you and your Democratic colleagues and your Republican colleagues refuse to represent the will of the majority in this country and to look after national interests and the common good rather than special interests.
THOMPSON: Again, you have it wrong, Lou. If you read the law, we’re requiring within five years 100 percent cargo screening.
DOBBS: Right. That will be what, 12 years after September 11? I got say I think every Democrat and every Republican on Capitol Hill should be proud of what you’ve done for the American people.
THOMPSON: We passed a law requiring 100 percent screening. We’re doing it, moving forward with it. I think you need to give the people the facts. We identified screening as a problem. We’re about the business of fixing it. If we required it today, commerce would stop. And so what we’ve done is worked with the business community. And others that try to get it right. Within the period of time.
DOBBS: All that’s left are the irresponsible American citizens that are vulnerable and will remain vulnerable apparently for 12 years after September 11. That makes us the fools?
THOMPSON: Well, I said nothing about fools. There you again, Lou, misrepresenting the facts. I think you misled.
DOBBS: In my misguided and misled fashion, sir, I think the government of the United States should be able to secure the borders and defend the people some seven years after we were attacked on September 11th.
THOMPSON: I agree. We’ve allocated more money to border security since I was elected than in the history of this business. So if you look at the facts, Lou, you will see that we’re moving toward that. We still need a border security plan. If you look where we have fences, we have to come up with a plan for tunnels. We have to make sure that we have enough men to support the fence.
DOBBS: Mr. Chairman, if that is persuasive to you and that leaves you satisfied then there’s not much more than I can say. We’re going to have to agree to disagree. I appreciate you being here. I hope you’re come back. We’ve used up a lot of time. I appreciate it.
THOMPSON: I came on your show because I think the other side needs to be told.
DOBBS: I appreciate it. You bring that other side every time, you’re more than welcome.
THOMPSON: Thank you.
DOBBS: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Congressman Bennie Thompson.
American Patrol
4/10/8
hattip MFIRE
Magnolia Tribune
