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From: (b) (6)

To: (b) (6)

Subject: Carney and Bilrakis

Date: Friday, February 29, 2008 4:05:37 PM

The following was posted on CQ this afternoon.

Feb. 28, 2008

Reps. Carney and Bilrakis Interviewed on Fox
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HILL:
There was a plan to protect our border, but now it is on hold. A major project to build a
28-mile long virtual fence -- remember that one -- along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Well, it might be delayed as long as three years, perhaps even more.
Democratic Congressman Christopher Carney from Pennsylvania sits on the Homeland
Security Committee; and Representative Gus Bilirakis, a Republican congressman from
Florida, is joining us as well.
Thank you gentlemen, both.

CARNEY:
Thank you.

BILIRAKIS:
My pleasure.

HILL:
Representative Carney, what was it that went wrong with this? They've already spent
millions of dollars on it, and now we're told it doesn't work. Why?

CARNEY:
They spent about $20 million on it, and it doesn't work because they were unable to
make the technology fuse the way it was promised.
It was also -- it doesn't work because the Border Patrol itself was also precluded -- by
contract that the Department of Homeland Security wrote with Boeing -- to have any input
from the Border Patrol.
So you have a situation where the technology didn't fuse the way it was promised, and
you didn't have any Border Patrol input into how they would like to use it in the field.
So all around, it was just a messed up deal. And, you know, we have to do better if we
are going to get any kind of control of our borders.

HILL:
Now, Congressman Bilirakis, we were told that this was going to be the best way to do
it. We wouldn't have to build these concrete walls. We'd be able to have this virtual high-tech
thing.
And now we're told that the software couldn't handle the information, the radar systems
were triggered by rain; cameras couldn't see images at even half the distance they were
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supposed to be able to see.

Why didn't anyone at Boeing or the Department of Homeland Security or anywhere else
foresee these problems?

BILIRAKIS:
Well, they should have. And it's a great disappointment.
And I think we need both. We need the fence, but we also need the virtual fence.
And we agree on this issue. As Chris said, we need the input of the Border Patrol agents.

HILL:
Right.

BILIRAKIS:
That's the way you got to do it. These people run things, and they know what's going on
out there.
And we also have to protect them.
So it's a great disappointment.

HILL:
You mentioned the real fence. And I am now learning that that may be put on hold also.
We are supposed to have 670 miles of real fence. Now, I thought that was supposed to have
been built fairly soon. And the latest information I saw was that it might not be completed
until the end of the next president's first term.
Is that true?

BILIRAKIS:
We were told early in the year that it would be completed by the end of the year, 700
miles. And, yes, that's the first time I'm hearing this. And it would be...
(CROSSTALK)

CARNEY:
This is actual news to us, that the -- the administration, DHS said that this was going to
happen. Congress has approved it, by the way -- well, we have to wait and see.
And, once again, this gets back down to this Project 28. This was supposed to be the test
bed and prototype for a virtual border for both the southern border and the northern.
And, you know, the truth of the matter is we cannot get true comprehensive immigration
reform until we get control of our borders. And if the technology isn't working the way it's
supposed to, we are getting -- we're setting ourselves backward in terms of reforming our
immigration policies.

HILL:
Let me clarify and correct myself. They won't get the virtual fence (inaudible) done until
the end of the next president's first term. They won't get the physical construction done by --
they don't know when.
They now say they have no idea what it's going to cost, when they're going to be able to
build it. They don't know the type of terrain, they don't know the materials they'll need, and
they don't know the cost to acquire the land to build it on -- which sounds like there's a lot of
people who don't know much in Washington.
And we certainly hope that you guys can straighten them out and figure out how you're
going to protect that border.
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We thank you very much for joining us and sharing information.

(UNKNOWN)
(inaudible)

HILL:
Yes, you got a big job ahead of you.

CARNEY:
Absolutely. And as the chairman of the oversight committee, you can bet I have my eye
on it.

HILL:
Good.

BILIRAKIS:
I'll work closely with Chris.

HILL:
Christopher Carney and Representative Gus Bilirakis.
Gentlemen, thank you both.

CARNEY:
Thank you so much.
CQ Transcriptions, Feb. 28, 2008

List of Speakers
REP. GUS BILIRAKIS, R-FLA.
REP. CHRISTOPHER CARNEY, D-PA.
E.D. HILL, FOX NEWS ANCHOR

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Secure Border Initiative
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
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For more information about the Secure Border Initiative, visit www.cbp.gov/sbi or contact us at SBI info@dhs.gov.