Congressman Chris Smith’s Statement Regarding President Trump’s Announcement On Ending The Shutdown
“I welcome the President’s announcement. We need to immediately restore essential government functions—which I have repeatedly voted to do in recent weeks—while allowing more time to negotiate for funding to secure our border, which I voted for in December.
“In 2006, I and other members from both parties in Congress—including then-Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton—voted for the Secure Fence Act to authorize a physical barrier where applicable on our Southern border. The bill became law but was never adequately implemented, and by neglecting for years to build a border wall, we have placed a greater burden on the safety of our border security personnel and put undue stress on a primary function of government—keeping our citizens safe.
“The government employees providing essential services—who have either been furloughed or have been working without pay—must be compensated, including with back pay.”
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If the Secure Fence Act has already been passed, why can’t the President simply use that act to build his wall?
We need to build the wall and deport the illegal aliens.
The Secure Fence Act which some Dems supported did not propose to build a wall along the entire boarder…..
again, that he wants enhanced security in porous areas, and beefed up security where the border patrol says THEY need the help. What part of there’s yet another mass of folks headed our way, that we cannot process and care and pay for do you not get ?? Have we become so selfish as a people that we only care if some problem only directly affects us in our own backyard, today? Are we that blind to how many drugs, gangs and diseases are coming in, and how much it collectively costs every taxpayer? Stop splitting grammatical hairs and all this hatred of one man who tells it like it is, and this short- sighted political nonsense: either we are a sovereign nation, that needs to take care of our own citizens FIRST, and protect ourselves from unwanted predators and drains on our resources, or we are not! -I suggest he call up Bibi and find out the companies that built Isreal’s strong borders, and hire them, here, pronto!!