SECURING OUR NATION'S BORDERS
For too long, the federal government has inadequately addressed border security. Our checkpoints are riddled with security flaws and a patchwork quilt of laws and agencies designed to protect our borders has left gaping holes in our security.
But September 11 changed everything. The border policies Texans have long regarded as ineffective, were suddenly placed in the national spotlight. Our country is now forced to determine how best to protect our homeland.
Department of Homeland Security
In June, the President proposed bringing more than 100 government agencies under the umbrella of a newly created Department of Homeland Security. If passed by Congress, implementing this plan would be the largest restructuring of the federal government since 1947, when President Truman consolidated the nation's armed forces into the Department of Defense. A single authority to oversee homeland security would strengthen our nation's ability to protect its citizens And it is a massive undertaking.
I am pleased that the first of the President's four-point plan is to "control our borders and prevent terrorists and explosives from entering our country." Currently the agencies that operate our border crossings – Customs, the Border Patrol and the Immigration and Naturalization Service – are disparate organizations with no effective collaboration. No one person or organization is in charge. A single authority will improve coordination, communication and efficiency.
Manning the Borders
I have consistently fought for increased funding for our borders. I support free trade – I voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and know the economic benefits it has brought to our state. But we must ensure there are adequate personnel and facilities to monitor the goods and people flowing into our country. Agents at our borders must be well-trained, appropriately paid, and have access to the high-tech tools needed to allow legitimate visitors' and workers' entry, and keep out potential terrorists and illegal drugs. We must also look at the vehicles, specifically the trucks and buses, that cross our borders by the thousands each day.
Truck Safety
Increased trade creates more opportunities for unsafe vehicles and illegal substances to cross our borders. Nearly 70 percent of truck traffic coming from Mexico into the United States enters through Texas.
This past December I helped secure $12 million for the Texas Department of Transportation to build more safety inspection facilities along the state's border with Mexico. This funding was in addition to the $103 million already allocated for safety facilities and inspectors along the entire U.S.-Mexico border.
High-Tech Tools
In April the Senate passed the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act, which authorizes funding for these agencies and goals. The bill emphasizes high-tech capabilities to track foreign nationals, including biometric data cards to prevent false identities. It also implements an automated system to record the entry of every non-citizen arriving in the U.S. and match it with a record of departure.
The President has asked Congress to pass his homeland security plan by fall. As we work to build a safer, more vibrant border, we must pave the road into our country with good policy that protects us from terrorists, while acknowledging the social and economic contributions legitimate visitors and trade can make.
July 17, 2002