Date: 2016-04-13
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee. and former ranking member of its Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee. I rise in support of H.R. 3586. the "Border and Maritime Coordination Improvement Act." Our Nation has thousands of miles of coastlines. lakes. and rivers and hundreds of ports that provide opportunities for legitimate travel. trade. and recreation. There are currently 328 ports of entry to the U.S.. including 167 land ports of entry with Canada and Mexico. staffed by approximately 21.000 CBP officers in the U.S. and abroad. There are more people and goods coming through our ports of entry than ever before. Last fiscal year. CBP inspected more than 360 million travelers at our air. land. and sea ports of entry. Since 2009. we have seen growth in both trade and travel. In Fiscal Year 2013. total passenger volume was 6.4% higher and total import value was nearly 40% higher than in Fiscal Year 2011. Houstons George Bush International and the William P. Hobby Airports are vital hubs for domestic and international air travel: 1. Nearly 40 million passengers traveled through Bush International Airport (IAH) and an additional 10 million traveled through William P. Hobby (HOU). 2. More than 650 daily departures occur at IAH. 3. IAH is the 1 1th busiest airport in the U.S. for total passenger traffic. and 4. IAH has 12 allcargo airlines that handled more than 419.205 metric tons of cargo in It was reported in October 2015 that the William P. Hobby Airport has opened a new 280.000 ft complex that includes 5 gates for its international concourse in an effort to reestablish the airports daily international air service. The addition is expected to support travel service for nearly 7.500 international passengers and 25 departing flights a day. At the same time. these waterways offer opportunities for terrorists and their instruments. drug smugglers. and undocumented persons to enter our country. Protecting the nations borderland. air. and seafrom illegal entry of people. weapons. drugs. and contraband is vital to our homeland security. as well as economic prosperity. The Border and Maritime Coordination Improvement Act: Creates an office of Biometric Identity Management. Establishes the Border Security Joint Task Forces in the East. West and for investigations. Updates the Maritime Operations Coordination Plan. Establishes an Asset Development for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine. Secures the Transportation Worker Identification credential against use by unauthorized aliens. Creates a costbenefit analysis of colocating operational entities. Evaluates the Coast Guard Deployable Specialized Forces. Constructs an evaluation of Coast Guard Deployable Specialized Forces. and Establishes a CustomsTrade Partnership against Terrorism Improvement among other important changes. I support this legislation because it will help protect the integrity of our borders and the security of our homeland. H.R. 3586 provides specific responsibilities for the Undersecretary to establish and operate the newly implemented departmental Joint Task Forces and appointing the directors to those joint task forces. Under H.R. 3586. the Joint Task ForceEast and Joint Task ForceWest is to execute a strategic plan to secure the land and maritime borders. which will coordinate criminal investigations supporting such task forces. The bill also directs the the DHS to establish additional Joint Task Forces to: 1. coordinate operations along the northern border. 2. prevent and respond to homeland security crises. 3. establish other regionally based operations. and 4. combat cybersecurity. The smuggling of illicit drugs. illegal immigrants. and contraband weapons over the Texas border is a major problem that needs to be addressed. Approximately 1 million passengers and pedestrians cross the Texas border on a daily basis. of these. on average 23 of these persons are wanted for arrest. H.R. 3586 is a positive step in the right direction and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage.