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Janet Napolitano Vetoes Guard Border Bill

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Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed a bill Thursday that would have spent $10 million to station 100 additional National Guard troops along the Mexican border - saying the legislation usurps her authority as "commander-in-chief" of the Guard.

In quotes picked up by the Arizona Republic, the Democratic governor urged the state legislature: "Send me a clean bill that provides sufficient resources to enable more of our Guard to deploy to the border in a manner that respects the constitutional role of the commander in chief."

But Republican Rep. John Allen, who sponsored the legislation, immediately ripped Napolitano's excuses, saying his bill "had the funding to put the troops there."

Arizona already has 170 National Guard troops working along the border in a support capacity with the Border Patrol, but none is actively involved in apprehending illegal immigrants.

As border violence continues to flare spurred by heavily armed drug smuggling operations, state Republicans have pressed Napolitano to beef up border security. Last August she declared a state of emergency, prompting calls for a larger Guard role.

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  But the top Democrat has insisted that her hands are tied until the federal government agrees to cover the costs of the additional troops.

Last Wednesday Napolitano issued an executive order that would have permitted the Guard to help the Border Patrol with vehicle inspections and other tasks. But according to the Republic, her order failed to specify the size of the Guard contingent, how much it would cost or how long the troops would stay.

Republican Rep. Jonathan Paton, whose district includes three border counties, said he was losing patience with Napolitano's excuses, telling the paper:

"The reality is that the citizens of my district wonder why they are still suffering after all this constitutional wrangling. The citizens of this state expect something to be happening at the border, and nothing is happening."

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