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The Merida Initiative - a $1.4 Billion Dollar Border Security Package for Mexico

By John Wallace  

President Bush is pushing for a massive $1.4 billion, multi-year foreign-aid package for Mexico that is designed to help that country secure their southern border against the flow of illegal aliens from Central America, as well as to bolster Mexico's crack down on drug and criminal gangs.

Being that the current U.S. Congress recently reduced funding for our own border security efforts, particularly for the border fence, giving money to a foreign country to secure their border would seem almost too unbelievable to be true.

Unfortunately, it is true and the plan is called "The Merida Initiative." The funding for this initiative is tucked into the 2008 supplemental budget and the first phase of the Merida Initiative will involve some $550 million in aid for inspection scanners, helicopters, surveillance tools, and other equipment.

Many of the meetings to create "The Merida Initiative" were held in secret by government representatives of both Mexico and the USA, without congressional input. Although many members of Congress may be upset at not being consulted on the details of the $1.4 billion multi-year initiative to Mexico, it still stands a good chance of getting congressional approval. Giving $1.4 billion to Mexico, a country that has worked very hard to undermine our own immigration laws by actively aiding illegal aliens to enter our country, just doesn't make sense.

Our border patrol agents are already under attack and outgunned by Mexican army troops and police who are on the payroll of the Mexican drug cartels. If the current cooperative plans aren't working, why in the world would we want to throw $1.4 billion more of U.S. taxpayers' money into it?

The proposed Merida Initiative is set to go before congress soon for approval. The entire funding package should be rejected outright and the $1.4 Billion should be immediately re-allocated and put to better use in securing our own border by hiring more Border Patrol agents, completing the border fence, speeding up the deportation of illegal aliens and upgrading the training and firepower of state and local law enforcement agencies in border states and ports of entry.

Let's secure America's border first, before we try to secure another country's border.

For additional information, contact:
John Wallace
Candidate for Congress
New York's 20th Congressional District
www.johnwallaceforcongress.com