[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 26, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H3841]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               NATIONAL GUARD SENT TO BORDER OR MAYBE NOT

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the administration announced they're 
deploying 1,200 National Guard troops to the border. That sounds mighty 
good, but not so fast.
  It appears troops aren't really going to the border. It seems they're 
sending the National Guard troops 20 miles behind the border to do 
computer support work. Well, we can hire a Geek Squad to do that. The 
National Guard troops need to be on the border and they need to be 
armed so they can defend themselves. And they need realistic rules of 
engagement.
  One border patrol official said that sending unarmed National Guard 
troops to the border amounts to the border patrol guarding the National 
Guard. Our current border philosophy is to try to capture people when 
they cross the border. Once they've crossed, if we capture them, then 
we have to deal with the consequences--like deportations, prosecutions, 
drug gangs in our jails, et cetera. Why are we letting illegals cross 
in the first place?
  It seems to me we need boots on the border, not 20 miles behind the 
border guarding computers.
  And that's just the way it is.

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