Roll call: House votes to militarize borders

On May 22, by a vote of 250 to 179, the House passed an amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill (H.R. 1588) that would allow the placement of members of the U.S. military on U.S. borders.

"This amendment is called the 'troops on the border' amendment," said Rep. Virgil Goode (R.-Va.), its sponsor. "This amendment would authorize the use of troops on the borders of the United States if the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security, after consultation, felt it was needed for our national security, if it was needed to curtail illegal immigration, if it was needed to curtail the flow of illegal drugs into our country."

Goode argued that a military presence on the United States' southern border would deter illegal border-crossers, who often end up as the victims of smugglers, thieves, and the region's severe weather.

Others-mostly Democrats-argued against the amendment.

"The people who live in my district, 55% of whom are Americans of Mexican descent, do not like this idea," said Rep. Bob Filner (D.-Calif.), who represents the entire area of California's border with Mexico. "They are worried about the idea."

Filner added that the bill could harm foreign relations with Mexico.

"I want to remind my friends, Mexico is a friendly nation," he said. "I do not think they have made any attempts at invasion since the Alamo. So this proposal would make a very fragile relationship right now even worse, and that is not what we ought to be doing."

Proponents of the amendment believe the relationship is fragile mostly because of Mexican President Vicente Fox's position on migration from his country to the United States. Fox has actively encouraged illegal border crossings, going so far as to distribute border-crossing kits. His government has also lobbied U.S. states to recognize the easily forged "Matricula Consular" identification card.

"This amendment will send our military personnel to our borders at a time when they are already stretched thin in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Philippines, and over 100 countries around the world," said Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D.-Tex.). Rather than suggesting that the U.S. military be brought into a more sensible strategic position, Reyes argued against stationing troops where most countries put them-on the border. "We cannot and should not ask our military personnel to patrol our borders. We need our military to be at their best."

But Rep. Tom Tancredo (R.-Colo.) rejected the idea "that this would somehow or other detract from [the military's] own training activities. I would say it is just the opposite. Talk to the Marines. Ask them about whether or not this was not what I have just described, the 'best training activity' they have ever had."

The amendment passed easily over the objections of Democrats, liberal Republicans, a few farm and labor-country Republicans, and libertarian-leaning Republicans who favor open borders.

A "yes" vote was a vote for Goode's "troops on the border" amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill. A "no" vote was a vote against the amendment.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Jul 21, 2003
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