Gingrey Votes for Border Fence Construction

Gingrey votes for Border Fence construction

U.S. Congressman Phil Gingrey today voted to pass H.R. 6061, the Secure Fence Act, one of several border security initiatives Republicans are committed to addressing this fall. H.R. 6061 would authorize more than 700 miles of two-layer, reinforced fencing along the U.S./Mexico border, and support a "virtual fence" of cameras, sensors and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to reinforce the entire length of the border. This legislation is nearly identical to an amendment Gingrey sponsored when the House passed comprehensive border security reform last December.

"Securing our border is the single most important thing we can do to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into this nation," said Gingrey. "Like locking the door to your house before turning on the alarm, it only makes sense to begin enforcement of our borders with physical barriers. Last month, I led a trip to the southern border to examine the high-tech fencing authorized by this legislation. The technology works, and the sooner we use it, the sooner we can regain control of our border."

"I call on the Senate to quickly pass this legislation so we can get it to the President's desk for signature into law," Gingrey continued. "In the state of Georgia, our illegal immigrant population is growing exponentially. Every day we wait to enact reform is another day thousands of illegal immigrants will sneak into America, taking a toll on our hospitals, schools and social welfare system. The American people have waited long enough. The Senate needs to stop passing amnesty bills and start getting serious about securing our borders."

The Secure Fence Act would strengthen operational control of all borders and ports through additional physical barriers and greater use of state-of-the-art technology and surveillance along the southwest border, including:

-- Authorizing more than 700 miles of two-layered reinforced fencing along the southwest border with prioritized placement at critical, highly populated areas and requiring an evaluation of infrastructure needs along the northern border;
-- Mandating that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) achieve and maintain operational control over the entire border through a "virtual fence" that deploys cameras, ground sensors, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and integrated surveillance technology;
-- Requiring DHS to assess vulnerabilities on the northern border.

http://gingrey.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=50088