Reaction to Bush's Immigration Speech

Quotes in response to President Bush's border security proposal:

"It is not enough for President Bush to tell us he wants to increase security at our borders. After all, he's had five years to do it. If he wants to be credible on border security, he must acknowledge his mistakes and commit to fixing them." -

Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

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"Utilizing the National Guard is an effective, short-term stopgap to immediately strengthen border security as long-range reforms begin to take effect."

- Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

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"The decision to send troops is the shot in the arm we need to strengthen our borders and protect our families."

- House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.

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"We must protect our borders, but militarizing our borders is a desperate response by the president to his and Republican Congress' policy failures."

- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

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"While I appreciate the president's willingness to tackle big problems, I have real concerns about moving forward with a guest worker program or a plan to address those currently in the United States illegally until we have adequately addressed our serious border security problems."

- House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

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"If the president thinks by taking one step forward with enforcement the House will follow with two steps backwards with amnesty, he's confusing us with the Senate."

- Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.

"We don't need a military solution to break a political stalemate."

- Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill.

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"Until the federal government can convince the American people that it is serious about securing our borders, it will be hard to consider other factors of immigration reform."

- Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.

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"Unarmed National Guard troops driving bulldozers, who can't make arrests, would essentially be useless."

- Rep. John, Culberson, R-Texas.

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"The National Guard already is stretched to the limit by repeated tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as providing disaster assistance in their own states."

- Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.

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"A wave of anti-American sentiment is already sweeping across Latin America, and a deployment of military forces to the U.S.-Mexico border will only fuel these views."

- Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas

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"If the Guard can go to work on the fence between Douglas, Ariz. and Calexico, Calif., immediately, they've got a chance of saving lots of lives during the hot season, which is going to commence in about 20 days."

- Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif.

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"Why not just hire more Border Patrol agents?"

- T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the Border Patrol union.

For more on this Listen To:Talk Show America 5/16/2006