Senate Floor Speech
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
September 29, 2006 -- Page: S10622

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007 -- CONFERENCE REPORT

MRS. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I wish to voice my strong support for efforts to secure our Nation's borders, which remain porous. We must immediately address this threat to our national security and make certain that we allow local officials greater involvement as they work with the Secretary of Homeland Security regarding the location of border fencing.

I have consistently supported and voted in favor of border security efforts--such as the installation of reinforced fencing in strategic areas where high trafficking of narcotics, unlawful border crossings, and other criminal activity exists. I have also supported installing physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras, and sensors where necessary.

Throughout our debate on comprehensive immigration reform, I have stressed the need to secure our Nation's borders--not only our southwest border with Mexico, but also our northern border with Canada, our maritime borders, coastlines and ports of entry. We must secure our borders first, but we must also work toward a comprehensive solution that addresses the needs of commerce and our economy.

The Secure Fence Act of 2006 is needed, and serves as our downpayment with the American people on what we must do to address border security--so that we can then move forward to address comprehensive immigration reform.

To this date, we have hired, trained, deployed 11,300 Border Patrol agents, ended catch and release, accelerated the deportation process, and expanded the number of beds in detention centers to almost 23,000.

We have also provided an additional $1.9 billion in immediate funding for border security to cover the first 1,000 of 6,000 new Border Patrol agents who will be deployed in the next 2 years. These funds will assist with the temporary deployment of up to 6,000 National Guard troops aiding the Border Patrol with surveillance and logistics.

I will continue to champion border security measures and strongly support the efforts of my colleagues to strengthen our southwest border--protecting our citizens from threats of terrorism, narcotic trafficking, and other unlawful entries. However, I am concerned about Congress making decisions about the location of the border fencing without the participation of State and local law enforcement officials working with the Secretary of Homeland Security. These locations should not be dictated by Congress.

Our border States have borne a heavy financial burden from illegal immigration and their local officials are on the front lines. Their knowledge and experience should not be ignored. Texas shares approximately one-half of the land border between the United States of America and the Republic of Mexico. As such, State and local officials in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas should not be excluded from decisions about how to best protect our borders with their varying topography, population, and geography.

Local officials in my home State of Texas--particularly in the areas of El Paso, Del Rio to Eagle Pass, and Laredo to Brownville--cited in the underlying bill, will not have an opportunity to participate in decisions regarding the exact location of fencing and other physical infrastructure near their communities. Because the time constraints imposed by the pending adjournment will not permit a resolution of this very important issue at this time, I asked for, and received, a commitment from our Senate majority leader and the Speaker of the House of Representatives promising to address these concerns.

The letter addressed to the chairs of the Senate and House Committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security states that prior to adjournment of the 109th Congress, we will act on this issue.

Ours is a nation of laws and we must be a nation of secure borders. I stand ready to work with my colleagues to enact meaningful legislation in this session of Congress that addresses border security first and that ensures our local communities will be involved in the decisions that have such a dramatic impact on the lives of their constituents. I appreciate the commitments of our Senate leader and the Speaker and look forward to working with them on this important issue.

In addition, I have been given a separate letter on this subject from Leader Frist, and I ask unanimous consent that both of these letters be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:


U.S. SENATE,
OFFICE OF THE MAJORITY LEADER,
Washington, DC,

September 29, 2006.

Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison,
Russell Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC.

DEAR SENATOR HUTCHISON: I am enclosing a copy of a letter signed today by myself and Speaker Hastert in which we outline a number of important additional border security measures that we plan to take prior to adjournment.

In this letter, the Speaker and I have pledged to respond to the concerns raised regarding the lack of opportunity for local officials, such as those in the areas of El Paso, Del Rio through Eagle Pass, and Laredo to Brownsville, to participate in decisions related to location of border fencing.

Thank you for taking the time to bring this important issue to my attention and to that of our colleagues.

I look forward to working with you upon our return to complete this action.

Sincerely,

William H. Frist,
Majority Leader.


-- CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES,
Washington, DC,

September 29, 2006.

Hon. PETER KING,
Chairman, House Homeland Security Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Hon. JAMES SENSENBRENNER,
Chairman, House Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Hon. SUSAN COLLINS,
Chairman, Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

Hon. ARLEN SPECTER,
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.

DEAR CHAIRMEN: Following passage of the Secure Fence Act of 2006, the following actions will be taken before adjournment of the 109th Congress:

First we will work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure they consult with representatives of U.S. state and local governments, including Native American tribes, regarding the exact placement of fencing and other physical infrastructure along the southwest border of the United States.

Second, legislation should require the Secretary of Homeland Security to put fencing and physical barriers in areas of high illegal entry into the United States, yet allow flexibility to use alternative physical infrastructure and technology when fencing is ineffective or impractical.

Third, the legislation should clarify the definition of operational control of the border to ensure accountability and a workable standard for the Department.

We have spoken to the Administration and know that they fully support these proposals and we expect that they will actively support our effort to make these changes before the end of the year.

Sincerely,

J. Dennis Hastert,
Speaker, House of Representatives.

William H. Frist,
Majority Leader, U.S. Senate.