Homeland Security
I am working in Congress to help our country fight terrorists, secure our borders, increase port security and make sure local law enforcement has the tools they need to keep our communities safe.
Increasing Border Security
Since 2004, Congress has authorized a total of 10,000 new border agents, 20 percent of which were slated to protect the Northern Border. However, to date Customs and Border Protection has added less than 1,000 new agents across both the northern and southern borders. I am working with my colleagues in Congress to fight for the border agents that have been authorized and to ensure that the appropriate numbers of these agents are placed in Washington state. I voted to pass legislation (H.R. 2638) which passed the House to fund 3,000 additional Border Patrol agents by the end of Fiscal Year 2008.
Keeping our Northern Border Secure and Open
While national discussions on border security focus primarily on immigration, border concerns in Washington state are unique and present different challenges. I am working to protect our communities from drug interdiction and organized crime across our Northern border while maintaining the flow of travel and commerce our border communities need. With over $1.6 billion worth of goods crossing the border every day, and 16 million Canadians visiting the U.S. each year, it is vital that we maintain a secure and open border crossing.
Protecting our Border Economies
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 included a provision requiring that by 2008, American and Canadian citizens must present a passport or other secure identification when crossing into the United States. These travel restrictions could create a logistical nightmare for Washington state and slow the economic benefits we hope to gain from the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, BC. Furthermore, cities across our Northern border will be hurt economically by this Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) unless the Departments of Homeland Security and State ensure that commerce, travel and tourism continue to flow freely.
As a member of the Northern Border Caucus, I have met with the Departments of Homeland Security and State to voice my concerns over the potential economic loss a poorly implemented program could cause. I supported legislation (H.R. 2638) that passed Congress in June, 2007 to delay passport requirements for people traveling by land and sea until June 2009. And to help protect our economy, I cosponsored the Protecting American Commerce and Travel (PACT) Act (HR 1684), which would require the Department of Homeland Security to complete an extensive cost-benefit analysis before implementing WHTI, make regular reports to Congress on WHTI implementation, establish a 6-month grace period for travelers who are not carrying the required WHTI documentation, and exempt children 15 and younger from document requirements for land and sea travel.
Strengthening Port Security
Our layered defense for port security is full of holes and gaps. The American Association of Port Authorities has reported that its member ports requested over $4.3 billion in port security money from Fiscal Year 2002 to 2006. Only $876 million was awarded-an 80 percent shortfall in funding port security needs. The Government Accountability Office found in two separate reports that 35 percent of high-risk containers coming to the United States went un-inspected and only 13 percent of companies in the Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism had completed their security background checks.
Fortunately, progress has been made in the past few years. Senator Murray’s SAFE Port Act of 2006 is now law, doubling funding authorized for port facility grants. And in 2007, the 110th Congress passed and the President signed into law the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation to screen all air cargo and overseas port cargo.
Supporting Local Law Enforcement
Local law enforcement is the first line of defense protecting our communities from crime and terrorism. We need to make sure local law enforcement has the resources they need to do their jobs and keep our communities safe.
Unfortunately, over the past few years the Republican-led Congress cut grants to help communities hire more police officers. They slashed funding for the successful Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program from more than $1 billion a year in the late 1990s to just $472 million in 2006, and eliminated funding for COPS hiring grants entirely. In May 2007, I voted to reauthorize the COPS program and provide resources to hire an additional 50,000 police officers across the country.
Byrne-JAG grants are another resource to help local law enforcement officers fight crime and help prevent drug abuse. Funding for this initiative was also cut in recent years, falling by 40% from Fiscal Year 2003 to 2006. I am cosponsoring legislation in the 110th Congress to support local law enforcement and reauthorize funding for Byrne-JAG grants.
Northern border law enforcement plays a unique and important role in border security and we are not doing enough to support their work. For example, Whatcom County is spending more than 2 million dollars a year to prosecute federal border crimes. Since 2002, I have worked to pass the Northern Border Prosecution Initiative Reimbursement Act so Northern border communities have the means to continue securing the Northern border and keeping us safe -- without breaking their budgets.
