Request supported by U.S. Sens. John McCain, Jon Kyl and other lawmakers
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers are requesting the Government Accountability Office study the effectiveness of Border Patrol checkpoints.
In a letter to David Walker, comptroller general of the GAO, nine members of Congress are asking for “additional information about elements and characteristics of interior checkpoints that contribute or might contribute to their effectiveness, and to determine whether there are any adverse effects on surrounding communities.”
The lawmakers outline five specific areas of inquiry, including a request to examine whether U.S. Customs and Border Protection has developed “meaningful performance measures to improve the productivity and effectiveness of interior checkpoints.”
Signing the letter are lawmakers from three border states and key chairmen. They are: Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl and Rep. Rick Renzi of Arizona; Sen. John Cornyn and Reps. Silvestre Reyes and Ciro Rodriguez of Texas; Rep. Bob Filner of California; and Rep. David Price of North Carolina. Price serves as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security, and Reyes is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
“Arizonans know all too well that the United States needs a comprehensive strategy to strengthen border security,” said Giffords. “I believe this strategy should include a checkpoint on Interstate 19 that helps the Border Patrol capture those who elude security measures directly on the border. But we need to demand accountability from the federal government and insist that the unique characteristics of Southern Arizona are taken into consideration as border security efforts are planned. That is why we are calling for this independent, third-party evaluation of checkpoints currently in use.”
Extensive background information on checkpoints also is available on the website by clicking on the “Legislation” icon at www.giffords.house.gov.