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Obama meets Perry and links border patrol changes to spending package Obama meets Perry and links border patrol changes to spending package
(about 1 month later)
US border patrols could be US border patrols could be moved closer to the Rio Grande river crossing with Mexico in a fresh bid to deter an influx of child immigrants following talks between Barack Obama and the Texas governor, Rick Perry.
moved closer to the Rio Grande river crossing with Mexico in a fresh The president said he would also consider increased border patrol numbers and even the temporary deployment of the National Guard, but only if Republicans in turn supported a wider White House plan to deal with the crisis.
bid to deter an influx of child immigrants following talks between Speaking after meeting Perry in Dallas, Obama insisted there was little difference in their underlying approach, though conceded that some of the governor's specific proposals were worth considering once Congress passes a $3.7bn supplemental spending package.
Barack Obama and the Texas governor, Rick Perry. “He [Perry] was concerned that some of the positioning of border patrol agents is too far from the border to be effective in deterring folks from coming in as opposed to simply apprehending them,” Obama said.
The president said he "I indicated to him that what he said made sense if we pass the supplemental we would have the resources to carry out some of the things that he has requested.”
would also consider increased border patrol numbers and even the In a written statement released shortly before Obama spoke, Perry appeared to urge the White House not to wait for Congress. "Securing the border is attainable and the president needs to commit the resources necessary to get this done," he said.
temporary deployment of the National Guard, but only if Republicans Obama claims the increasingly heated battle with Republicans over how to handle the crisis is more about politics than substance, and argues he needs Congressional approval to avoid accusations of executive over-reach.
in turn supported a wider White House plan to deal with the crisis. “The bottom line is actually that there is nothing that the governor indicated he wanted to see that I have a philosophical objection to,” Obama said.
Speaking after meeting “The challenge is [whether] Congress is prepared to act to put the resources in place to get this done in other words, are folks more interested in politics or are they interested in getting things done?”
Perry in Dallas, Obama insisted there was little difference in their Despite Obama's conciliatory tone the White House has previously been more dismissive of Republican calls for an immediate border surge and earmarked only $29m of its $3.7bn plan for greater ground patrols on Tuesday.
underlying approach, though conceded that some of the governor's In Perry's statement he said he had asked the president instead for measures including an additional 1,000 National Guard troops, policy changes and Predator drones to track human and drug trafficking.
specific proposals were worth considering once Congress passes a "Five hundred miles south of here in the Rio Grande Valley there is a humanitarian crisis unfolding that has been created by bad public policy, in particular the failure to secure the border,” he said.
$3.7bn supplemental spending package. Obama’s open-minded tone towards Perry comes even though the Texas governor has made a habit of placing the blame for the problems squarely on the president’s shoulders. “I don’t believe he particularly cares whether or not the border of the United States is secure,” Perry told ABC News last Sunday. On Monday Perry declined an offer to meet Obama for what the governor termed “a quick handshake on the tarmac”, instead suggesting the pair hold a “substantive meeting”.
“He [Perry] was concerned In fact Perry did turn up at Dallas/Fort Worth international airport to shake the president’s hand at the bottom of Air Force One’s steps, but also got a chance to talk with him at least for as long as it took the Marine One helicopter to fly them across Dallas to the city’s other airport, Love Field. As they exited Obama gestured to Perry to get into the presidential limousine, which took them to a roundtable discussion about border issues with local officials and religious leaders.
that some of the positioning of border patrol agents is too far from Perry is stepping down as Texas governor after November’s election. As he mulls over a fresh presidential bid, the crisis has given him a national platform on a key issue for Republicans as he seeks to rehabilitate his image after his failed 2012 campaign.
the border to be effective in deterring folks from coming in as Framing the situation as a “humanitarian crisis” of Obama’s making allows Perry to look tough as he plays to core conservative themes border security and opposing the Obama administration without adopting the sort of hardline anti-immigrant rhetoric that is popular among Texas Republicans but risks offending the state’s large Hispanic population.
opposed to simply apprehending them,” Obama said. His 2012 campaign was derailed by his infamous “oops” moment and undermined by a perhaps surprising moment of empathy: his staunch defence of a 2001 Texas law giving in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants, when he upset many conservatives by saying: “If you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no other reason than they've been brought there by no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart.”
"I indicated to him that Perry sent a letter to Obama [PDF] as far back as May 2012 asking him to solve the problem of unaccompanied minors crossing the border. He campaigned heavily on the issue of border security during his successful 2010 gubernatorial re-election bid, claiming that Texas was taking action to reduce crime along the border while the federal government had faltered.
what he said made sense if we pass the supplemental we would have Last month he issued a statement saying Texas would spend up to $1.3m per week to beef up border security.
the resources to carry out some of the things that he has requested.” Texas’s Republican US senators, Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, criticised Obama on Wednesday for visiting the state yet opting not to go to the border. “He’s visiting Democratic fat-cats to collect cheques and apparently there's no time to look at the disaster, at the devastation that's being caused by his policies,” Cruz said on the Senate floor.
In a written statement
released shortly before Obama spoke, Perry appeared to urge the White House not
to wait for Congress. "Securing the border is attainable and the president needs to commit the resources necessary to get this
done," he said.
Obama claims the
increasingly heated battle with Republicans over how to handle the
crisis is more about politics than substance, and argues he needs
Congressional approval to avoid accusations of executive over-reach.
“The bottom line is
actually that there is nothing that the governor indicated he wanted
to see that I have a philosophical objection to,” Obama said.
“The challenge is
[whether] Congress is prepared to act to put the resources in place
to get this done … in other words, are folks more interested in
politics or are they interested in getting things done?”
Despite Obama's
conciliatory tone the White House has previously been more
dismissive of Republican calls for an immediate border surge and
earmarked only $29m of its $3.7bn plan for greater ground patrols on
Tuesday.
In
Perry's statement he said he had asked the president instead for
measures including an additional 1,000 National Guard troops, policy
changes and Predator drones to track human and drug trafficking.
"Five
hundred miles south of here in the Rio Grande Valley there is a
humanitarian crisis unfolding that has been created by bad public
policy, in particular the failure to secure the border,” he said.
Obama’s open-minded tone towards Perry comes even though the Texas governor
has made a habit of placing the blame for the problems squarely on
the president’s shoulders. “I don’t believe he particularly
cares whether or not the border of the United States is secure,”
Perry told ABC News last Sunday. On Monday Perry declined an offer
to meet Obama for what the governor termed “a quick handshake on
the tarmac”, instead suggesting the pair hold a “substantive
meeting”.
In fact Perry did turn up at
Dallas/Fort Worth international airport to shake the president’s
hand at the bottom of Air Force One’s steps, but also got a chance
to talk with him – at least for as long as it took the Marine One
helicopter to fly them across Dallas to the city’s other airport,
Love Field. As they exited Obama gestured to Perry to get into the
presidential limousine, which took them to a roundtable discussion
about border issues with local officials and religious leaders.
Perry is stepping down as Texas
governor after November’s election. As he mulls over a fresh
presidential bid, the crisis has given him a national platform on a
key issue for Republicans as he seeks to rehabilitate his image after
his failed 2012 campaign.
Framing the situation as a
“humanitarian crisis” of Obama’s making allows Perry to look
tough as he plays to core conservative themes – border security and
opposing the Obama administration – without adopting the sort of
hardline anti-immigrant rhetoric that is popular among Texas
Republicans but risks offending the state’s large Hispanic
population.
His 2012 campaign was derailed by
his infamous “oops” moment and undermined by a perhaps surprising
moment of empathy: his staunch defence of a 2001 Texas law giving
in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants, when he upset many
conservatives by saying: “If you say that we should not educate
children who have come into our state for no other reason than
they've been brought there by no fault of their own, I don't think
you have a heart.”
Perry sent a letter to Obama [PDF] as
far back as May 2012 asking him to solve the problem of
unaccompanied minors crossing the border. He campaigned heavily on
the issue of border security during his successful 2010 gubernatorial
re-election bid, claiming that Texas was taking action to reduce
crime along the border while the federal government had faltered.
Last month he issued a statement
saying Texas would spend up to $1.3m per week to beef up
border security.
Texas’s Republican US senators,
Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, criticised Obama on Wednesday for visiting
the state yet opting not to go to the border. “He’s visiting
Democratic fat-cats to collect cheques and apparently there's no time
to look at the disaster, at the devastation that's being caused by
his policies,” Cruz said on the Senate floor.