[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 40 (Monday, October 9, 2006)]
[Pages 1740-1742]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Signing the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations 
Act for Fiscal Year 2007 in Scottsdale

October 4, 2006

    Thank you all for coming. Pretty soon, I'm going to sign an 
important piece of legislation that will highlight our Government's 
highest responsibility, and that's to protect the American people. The 
Department of Homeland Security plays a critical role in fulfilling this 
responsibility every day. Since its creation in 2003, the Department has 
strengthened security of our borders, airports, seaports, and other key 
infrastructure. It's helped give our partners in local and State law 
enforcement the tools they need to do their jobs.
    The legislation I sign today provides about $33.8 billion in funding 
to help secure the homeland. This is a good bill. It will help us deploy 
nuclear detection equipment at our ports of entry, raise security 
standards at the Nation's chemical plants, safeguard American cities 
against weapons of mass destruction, and stop terrorists seeking to 
enter our country.
    The bill will also help our Government better respond to emergencies 
and natural disasters by strengthening the capabilities of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency. This legislation will give us better tools 
to enforce our immigration laws and to secure our southern border.
    This bill is going to make this country safer for all our citizens. 
And I appreciate the Members of the Congress who have joined me to 
witness this signing, Senator Jon Kyl, J.D. Hayworth, Trent Franks, and 
Rick Renzi. These Members supported this good bill, and I thank them for 
their support. I'm also pleased that Governor Janet Napolitano has 
joined us. Governor, thank you for being here. We're honored to have you 
up here with us.
    The bill I sign helps us address one of the central issues facing 
all States but particularly a State like Arizona, and that's illegal 
immigration. I understand full well that illegal immigration puts 
pressure on the public schools and hospitals. It strains State and local 
budgets. In some communities, it increases crime. The administration and 
Congress have been taking decisive steps to address this issue.
    Since I took office, we've increased funding for our border security 
from $4.6 billion in 2001 to $9.5 billion in 2006. We have increased the 
number of Border Patrol agents from about 9,000 to 12,000. We 
significantly decreased the time it takes to return illegal immigrants 
to their home countries. We've apprehended and sent home more than 6 
million people entering this country illegally. We've stepped up 
worksite enforcement against companies who knowingly hire illegal 
workers. We're sending a clear signal that

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we're a nation of law, and laws will be enforced.
    We've made progress in addressing illegal immigration, but there is 
a lot more work to be done. This May, I asked Congress to fund 
improvements in infrastructure, technology, and manpower at the border, 
and I appreciate Congress delivering upon my requests.
    The bill I sign today includes nearly $1.2 billion in additional 
funding for strengthening the border, for new infrastructure and 
technology that will help us do our job. It provides funding for more 
border fencing, vehicle barriers, and lighting, for cutting-edge 
technology, including ground-base radar, infrared cameras, and advance 
sensors that will help prevent illegal crossings along our southern 
border. That's what the people of this country want. They want to know 
that we're modernizing the border so we can better secure the border.
    The bill also supports our efforts to increase the number of Border 
Patrol agents to about 18,000 by the end of 2008. I recognized, Congress 
recognized that we needed more Border Patrol agents to do the job. So we 
were in Artesia, New Mexico, earlier, and went to the Border Patrol 
Training Center; they were thanked first hand, the men and women who are 
willing to go out and do hard work and help secure a really long border. 
And I appreciate the service of the Border Patrol.
    It provides funding for about 1,500 additional Border Patrol agents. 
In other words, this is part of a doubling of the Border Patrol that I 
called for earlier in my administration. I fully understand it's going 
to take time to recruit and train these Border Patrol, and that's why, 
in coordination with the Governors, we deployed 6,000 National Guard 
members to the southern border, and they're doing a fine job.
    I remember the outcry when I thought it was a good--told the 
American people I thought it was a good idea to send them down there. 
But, thankfully, we did. And they're helping the Border Patrol. And when 
the Border Patrol agencies--number of agents double, then we're not 
going to need the National Guard. But in the meantime, America owes them 
a debt of gratitude and thanks.
    The bill I sign today also includes a 25-percent increase for 
funding for immigration and customs enforcement. This funding will help 
Federal agents better enforce our immigration laws inside our country. 
It will allow us to add at least 6,700 new beds in detention centers. 
Part of the problem we face is that illegal immigrant was caught 
sneaking into the country, and because there was no detention beds, the 
Border Patrol would say, ``Why don't you check back in with us after 
awhile. There's no place to hold you, so check back in with the 
judges.'' And of course, they didn't check back in. It created a lot of 
frustration with the Border Patrol.
    So we're in the process of ending catch-and-release. This bill will 
help us end catch-and-release. You see, when people know that they'll be 
caught and sent home if they enter the country illegally, they're going 
to be less likely to try to enter illegally in the first place.
    The funds that Congress has appropriated are critical for our 
efforts to secure this border and enforce our laws. Yet, we must also 
recognize that enforcement alone is not going to work. We need 
comprehensive reform that provides a legal way for people to work here 
on a temporary basis. It's going to relieve pressure on the border. It 
will enable our Border Patrol agents to do a better job when we reduce 
the number of people trying to sneak into the country. It will free up 
our law enforcement officers to focus on criminals and drug dealers and 
terrorists and others who mean us harm.
    We'll continue to work with Congress to pass comprehensive 
immigration reform that secures this border, upholds our laws, and 
honors our Nation's proud heritage as a land of immigrants.
    I want to thank the Members of Congress who have joined me for this 
important bill signing. And now it's my honor to sign the Department of 
Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2007.

Note: The President spoke at 9:37 a.m. at the Camelback Inn. H.R. 5441, 
approved October 4, was assigned Public Law No. 109-295. The Office of 
the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these 
remarks.

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