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Tue, June 10, 2008

A group of North Carolina and Virginia Republican congressmen put pressure on House Democratic leaders Tuesday to fast track funding for a fence along the Mexican border.

Congress directed the Homeland Security Department to build such a fence two years ago, but the money to do so never passed. A group that included Reps. Walter Jones, Sue Myrick and Virginia Foxx of North Carolina and Virgil Goode from Virginia called on House leaders to pass funding this year. 

“We know the fence will work, and that’s why the liberals are trying so hard to undo this action,” Foxx said at a press conference.

While the illegal immigration issue dominated national politics a few years ago – and Republican politics especially – it has all but fallen off the radar screen in recent months, trumped by the Iraq war and the dodgy economy. And the chances of it playing a major role in the upcoming election, analysts say, are slim.

As John McCain and Barack Obama seek to highlight differences between their positions on a variety of issues over the next few months, don’t expect much immigration talk. McCain shares far more in common with Obama on the issue than most in his party. Many Republicans deride his stance on the subject as providing amnesty to those in the country illegally.

Perhaps sensing this, Goode called on the two candidates to “take a look at what’s being said today, and say build (the fence) quick and build it now.”

--Sean Mussenden