Date: 2014-07-28
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 3846. the United States Customs and Border Protection Authorization Act. Mr. Speaker. I am a proud original cosponsor of the bill sponsored by my subcommittee chairman. the gentlewoman from Michigan . We are working throughout this Congress in a bipartisan manner. and it seems that our particular subcommittee has been particularly energized by a number of issues that have come to the attention of the American people. This is an authorization bill that is long overdue. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is among the largest and most significant of the Department of Homeland Securitys components. CBP is charged with ensuring the security of Americas borders while facilitating legitimate trade and travel. I want to take a moment. Mr. Speaker. to just offer my appreciation for the hardworking men and women that come under CBP. They are on the border. They are on the northern and southern borders. They are in our ports. both airports and seaports. and so I think it is appropriate for us to take a moment and express our appreciation. Might I also. just as another aside. express my appreciation for the transportation security work of the TSOs. As we were working on their issues. we lost one of our very brave agents in the last year. All of them should be appreciated. Again. despite the essential nature of CBPs mission. it has not been authorized in law since the recognition of the Department of Homeland Security announced by Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff 9 years ago this month. It is imperative that CBP is authorized in law to ensure that Congress can conduct proper oversight of the agency and its programs. This legislation does just that. I am very pleased to have been part of crafting legislation that really responds to an important need: giving the guidelines and infrastructure and structure to make sure that we have a security arm of the DHS that really works. that we appreciate. and that has a guideline to operate effectively. I am pleased that the bill includes several amendments offered by Democratic members during consideration by the Homeland Security Committee. Again. I want to thank Chairman MCCAUL and Ranking Member THOMPSON of the full committee for their bipartisan efforts. working with Chairman MILLER and myself on this legislation. I was particularly pleased that the committee accepted an amendment I offered to help address the recent surge in the number of unaccompanied children entering the U.S. at increasingly younger ages. particularly in my home State of Texas. Let me be very clear: this is a humanitarian crisis and an issue that I think we are finding our way forward on. and I hope as we are passing this legislation. we will also pass the emergency supplemental that is needed for this issue and many others. This issue requires immediate attention from Congress given that the welfare of so many children is at stake. I am also pleased that. during committee consideration. an amendment offered by the gentlewoman from California was adopted to enhance CBPs oversight of an adherence to shortterm detention standards at these facilities. While these facilities are not intended to house individuals for longterm immigration detention. it is imperative that basic standards are adhered to in order to ensure the health and wellbeing of people. including children in CBP custody. So many of us have gone to the border in years past. I have been in many detention facilities over the years as I have served on this committee. We know that standards are important for whatever facility that we have. Whether they are detention facilities for adults who are coming across illegally or other resources that are needed. we must have a standard. I am also pleased that the committee accepted an amendment offered by the gentleman from California stating that CBP may not enter into or renew a Trusted Traveler Program agreement with a foreign government unless that government reports lost and stolen passport data to Interpol. We know that passengers on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 were traveling on stolen passports. and that enormous tragedy is still unsolved. While the U.S. has relatively limited ability to ensure foreign governments utilize Interpols database. encouraging them to report their own lost and stolen passports improves the quality of Interpols list used by the U.S. to screen travelers to and from our country. That said. I was disappointed the committee did not accept an amendment I offered to increase. by an additional 2.000. the number of CBP officers deployed at our ports of entry. I think we are seeing that there have been a number of State efforts that this number of CBP officers might have countered. and I look forward to us continuing to pursue opportunities to increase those numbers. Congress recently provided the resources necessary to hire 2.000 additional CBP officers. but still more are needed. I understand current budgetary constraints. but so many of the challenges CBP faces at our ports of entry are related to or affected by persistent staffing shortages. Congress has a responsibility to do its part to alleviate these shortages. and I hope to continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on this important issue. That said. I strongly support the bill and am pleased that Customs and Border Protection will. for the first time in the years that they have been organized. in 2014. under the present chairman and myself. the ranking member. be authorized in its current form. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.