Washington, DC - Rep. Tom Price (GA-06-R) issued the following statement regarding President Bush’s comments on border security today.

“I applaud the President’s support for strong border security,” said Price. “It is imperative that we establish operational control of our borders – something I have fought for during my first term in Congress.

"It was my amendment that called for full operational control of the Border within 18 months, and the Secure the Fence Act will accomplish this.”

“Border security equals national security. Republicans continue to work tirelessly to protect our borders. Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle prefer to play politics with our national sovereignty and undermine these efforts.”

The President made the following comments today on border security ". . . we're actually building a fence, and we're building a double fence in particular in areas where there is high vulnerability for people being able to sneak in. You can't fence the entire border. But what you can do is use a combination of fencing and technology to make it easier for the border patrol to enforce our border."

Strengthening Security Through Fencing and Additional Infrastructure

The Secure Fence Act: Authorizes the construction of 700 miles of reinforced fencing along the southwest border. This bill mandates that the Department of Homeland Security achieve operational control over the entire border through building the security fence and using technology that employs cameras, ground sensors, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The bill provides the necessary authority to border personnel to disable fleeing vehicles.

The Homeland Security Appropriations bill that was signed into law includes $1.2 billion to build the security fence along part of the Southwest border and is a strong step to protect the American people. The bill also allocates $5.2 billion for the Secure Border Initiative and provides the Department of Homeland Security with the tools and the manpower needed to secure our borders.

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