On the recordFebruary 10, 2005
No person in our country should be given unfettered authority, unfettered discretion to waive any or all laws, for whatever the purpose. Take this situation. In order to expedite construction of this fence, the Department of Homeland Security could select a contractor without competitive bidding, use undocumented workers, violate child labor laws, pay the workers less than the minimum wage, exempt contractors from Federal and State withholding; workers could be forced to put in 18-hour-days without overtime pay, in unsafe conditions, and be transported in trucks used for hazardous cargo; and allow the Secretary discretion to have these workers construct fences and roads through private property. That is wrong. You can build a fence, but you do not have to violate all those laws.
Source
govinfo.gov
