Bush's Borderline Security

Bush Criticized for Not Protecting U.S. Border

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. Congress criticized President Bush on Thursday for failing to hire enough agents to protect America's borders.

At a hearing of the House of Representatives subcommittee on immigration and border security, chairman John Hostettler noted that legislation passed by Congress last year authorized the addition of 10,000 new Border Patrol agents over the next five years.

"I was therefore deeply disappointed that his (Bush's) budget calls for an increase in Border Patrol agents of barely 10 percent of that called for by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act," the Indiana Republican said.


That legislation was based on the recommendations of the commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

Peter Gadiel, whose son was killed in the World Trade Center, said he and other family members of victims were shocked to read that Bush's budget proposal last month included funding for only 210 additional Border Patrol agents.

"We, who lost so much on that day, simply cannot understand why some in our government are still questioning the need for adequate resources, especially manpower, to control who is permitted to enter our country," Gadiel said.

The issue also came up on Wednesday at a hearing of a Senate subcommittee on homeland security, where Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy complained that not one additional agent would be posted to patrol the 4,000-mile-long border with Canada.

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