House lawmakers call for National Guard at border
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 28, 2010 11:02 a.m. EDT
Washington (CNN) -- A largely Republican group of House lawmakers said Wednesday they have sent a letter to President Obama asking for the National Guard to be deployed along the border between the United States and Mexico.
The request comes amid a heated debate on Capitol Hill over a comprehensive immigration reform bill -- one of the president's top domestic priorities.
"We want the National Guard on the border," said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas. "This country protects the borders of other nations better than it protects our own border."
Poe said the president needs to "enforce the rule of law."
The Texan and a handful of other lawmakers asserted the Mexican border has become a virtual war zone, plagued by violence from Mexican drug cartels expanding their reach into the United States. They also noted that border state governors have made similar requests for a National Guard deployment.
Local sheriffs and border agents are "outmanned, outgunned and outfinanced" by the cartels, Poe said.
"Right now the cartels dominate [the border region] through violence and intimidation," said Rep. Dan Burton, R-Indiana. "It is long since time to protect our populations on the southern border."
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, said her constituents were "sick and tired" of the federal government failing to protect the border. The current situation is "completely unacceptable," she said.
Story continues here.