Under Fire, DHS Boss Halts Border Projects

(AP)  Facing criticism for her handling of federal stimulus money, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that she would not start any new border construction projects and review how her department selected which projects would get money.

Napolitano has faced questions since The Associated Press reported last month that Homeland Security officials did not follow their internal priority lists when choosing which border checkpoints would get money for renovations. Under a process that is secretive and susceptible to political influence, officials planned to spend millions at tiny checkpoints, passing over busier, higher-priority projects.

The criticism peaked Wednesday when a senior Senate Democrat, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, said that, despite Napolitano's assurances, he felt Homeland Security was treating the economic stimulus plan like a "bottomless pit" of taxpayer money. It was unusually pointed criticism from a member of the president's own party about how the administration is handling economic recovery spending.

"There's no common sense at all to a requirement that says you've got to put up a $15 million facility for a small port of entry that's host to about five vehicles an hour," Dorgan, whose state stood to receive $128 million for checkpoint improvements, said in a telephone interview.

Within hours, Napolitano promised not to begin any new border construction projects and set up a 30-day review of how the projects were selected.

"At the end of that review, I will make all information, not involving national security concerns, public," Napolitano wrote in a letter to Dorgan.

So far, Homeland Security has refused to release its internal priority list or its justifications for deviating from it. Instead, officials say the final project list is all they need to make public.

Congress required the department to create a priority list in 2003 but the Obama administration added its own subjective decision-making to the process, making it vulnerable to the political influence that Obama pledged to keep out of the stimulus.

Two Montana Democratic senators, for instance, said they personally appealed to Napolitano to get money for lower-priority border projects. That includes a $15 million plan to build a station the size and cost of a Hollywood mansion at the sleepy Whitetail, Mont., border crossing.

Napolitano defended those decisions in her letter, saying northern border stations could be repaired for a fraction of the cost of busier checkpoints. But she said the department would review those decisions.

"Americans should have confidence in the objectivity and openness with which Recovery funds are spent and the Department of Homeland Security is committed to upholding this responsibility," Napolitano wrote.

Dorgan sits on the powerful Appropriations Committee, which helps control the purse strings for the federal government.

"We're deep in debt, we really do need to be smart about how we spend money," Dorgan said. "In my judgment, this is not a smart investment."

[White_Duck]

Another example of influence peddaling. There may be some issues with illegals "invading" from Canada, but not on the scale of that coming through the Mexican border. I was raised in Ohio and never saw a reason, or a need for an armed crossing between our two countries. Now that I am in California, I think it is imperative that one be constructed here. But the Senators from the North cried the loudest. And we all know the squeaky whell gets oiled first.

[get_involved]

HELP STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.......MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD:
http://www.numbersusa.com/content/learn/about/what-numbersusa-is-all-about.html

[foxfire87]

I have to wonder how Obama chose this nit wit..I can almost hear the phone conversation..it must have went something like this:

NoBama: Hey Nappy, this Barack, I can see how disaterous Arizona has become regarding your problem with illegal immigration. Phoenix is just swarmed will illegals,your state budget has been drained, by feeding, educating, and providing social services. You are providing health care to them, your American jobless rate is soaring because of them, crime, and drug czars have totally taken over the south end, and your borders are wide open as the Grand Canyon. By the way
wanna head up DHS?

Nappy: Why of course I will Barack, Im sure I can do the same for the rest of the country, if given the chance.

[dragontat2]

Maybe they can kick it up a notch and finish the renovations at the Peace Arch crossing in Blaine, Washington, in time for the '10 Olympics in Vancouver. We've been told it won't be finished!

[faceofus]

This article is taking center stage. Why do we have to put "Acorn" in your search engine in order to find this breaking news? It appears to be buried.

[tucano2]

Nepolitano's failed in every job she's had - isn't happy till red ink flows like a river - it's OPM - it OUR money. What we want is heavy truck traffic going southbound carrying illegal aliens out of OUR country - we don't need "detention centers" we need deportation within 24 hours of apprehension. Any questions ought to be settled at the American Embassy in the country the criminal was deported to.

[markj2]

Hey, nothing like gaining power to corrupt an individual, look whats happened in Washington, its ruined alot of people who went there with good intentions.

[stuart-johns]

I agree with you Mark. Good point. The problem in Washington that you mention is so widespread, I mean it's staggering!

It's daunting to even suggest a solution.

[stuart-johns]

Good. One democrat calling out another. Now that's how government is supposed to work. The republicans could learn from this. God knows their party needs to learn alot.