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FORT HUACHUCA — Congress hasn’t done much to take care of the border problems, a congressman said.
But, it wasn’t the voice of a member of Congress from one of the southern states bordering Mexico.
It was Pennsylvania Republican Phil English, who said his tour of the Arizona border with Mexico “was an incredible, on-the-ground close-up of a porous border we have.”
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English, from Erie, said the United States’ northern border with Canada is nothing like what he saw in Arizona. His home district is about 30 miles from a portion of Canada’s land mass across Lake Erie.
It is easy for illegal immigrants to get into the United States from Mexico, English said, noting he saw breaks in simple fences along the international boundary, through which people can walk or vehicles be driven.
The Pennsylvania congressman was part of a delegation that took part in the Mexico-U.S. Interparliamentary Meeting, led by Arizona Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe, whose district includes Cochise County.
Not only did a delegation of U.S. representatives and senators attend the meeting at Valle de Bravo, Mexico, some them — nine members of U.S. House of Representatives — spent some time in Arizona flying over the border, watching night activities of the U.S. Border Patrol, meeting with Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever and Cochise County Board of Supervisors Chairman Pat Call and other officials, as well as visiting a local rancher whose property abuts the border.
Sunday the group arrived at Fort Huachuca to fly back to Washington, D.C. They boarded an Air Force plane that is usually reserved for the vice president of the United States.
During a short press conference Sunday, Kolbe said it was 21 years ago when he became part of the bi-national interparliamentary group.
And, for the first time Friday, he heard Mexican officials say Mexico shares responsibility for illegal activities crossing the border into the United States.
What that means is here is an opportunity for the two countries to really work together on solving the problem, the 11-term congressman said, adding it will take both the U.S. and Mexico governments to become heavily involved.
But, Kolbe noted that his opportunity in finding solutions is diminishing as he prepares to retire from Congress in January.
Who will replace him will be decided in November once the Republicans and Democrats decide who of the many primary candidates will carry their party banner.
Kolbe said he is not ready to say whom he will support in the GOP primary race.
As for the trip to Arizona, he said some members of the delegation are from border states, and they know well the illegal activity issues along the border.
However, some in the delegation do not, he added.
Besides Kolbe and English, the other members of the U.S. House of Representatives who stopped in Arizona included Republicans David Dreier, Luis Fotuno, Donald Manzullo and Michael McCaul; and Democrats Susan Davis, Eni Faleomavaega and Silvestre Reyes. Davis and Dreier are from California, Faleomavaega represents American Samoa, Fortuno is from Puerto Rico, Manzullo is from Illinois, and McCaul and Reyes are from Texas.
Call said it is good that the delegation got to see Arizona’s border problem.
Kolbe is knowledgeable, but others, even those from states that border Mexico, are less so, he said.
“It was an eye-opener for them. They had no idea what we face,” Call said.
When they saw the terrain they understood how hard it will be to take control of the border, he said.
And, putting up a 20-foot high wall along the entire border — about 2,000 miles — was recognized as a difficult proposition, Call said.
“It’s a little different sitting around a coffee table in Washington (D.C.) talking about it and then seeing reality,” he said.
It was important for them “to see the lay of the land” knowing simplistic solutions will not work, Call said.
What has to happen, the Board of Supervisors chairman said, is that Congress must understand the problem, and laws must be passed to address border issues.
But, those who live along the border in the United States cannot wait for the “perfect solution” from Congress.
What is needed is something to build on, Call added.
What he hopes is that the delegation will go back and speak with other members of Congress and tell them the reality of what is facing the southern boundary.
What will help is, “They now have a little border dust on their shoes,” Call said.
Herald/Review senior reporter Bill Hess can be reached at 515-4615 or by e-mail at bill.hess@svherald.com.
TheSilverRose wrote on Jun 27, 2009 10:22 PM:
Thank You! "