Tucson lawmaker introduces bill requiring the Department of Homeland Security to tell Congress how it spends taxpayer dollars
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today introduced legislation to impose tough new accountability requirements on the Department of Homeland Security's attempts to secure the United States border with Mexico.
Giffords joined forces with Rep. Brian Bilbray, a five-term Republican from Solana Beach, Calif., to introduce The Border Security Accountability Act. Their effort comes in the wake of disturbing news reports about the viability of the virtual fence now under construction in Arizona.
"Taxpayers in Southern Arizona and all across America send nearly $2 billion of their hard-earned money to the federal government to secure our border every year," Giffords said. "We need to know if it is money well-spent."
The Border Security Accountability Act is aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability within the Department of Homeland Security by requiring it to submit a detailed progress report to Congress every 90 days.
"We need to be smart about border security," Giffords said. "The apparent failure of the virtual fence project is a major disappointment. Congress needs to make sure we are doing everything we can to address a crisis that my constituents have had to deal with for far too long."
Some of the specific reporting requirements of The Border Security Accountability Act are:
- Apprehension, detention and deportation rates for illegal immigrants;
- The exact distance apprehensions take place form the border and the release rate for those apprehensions;
- Border threat assessments, including those posed by terrorist organizations; and
- Border security staffing needs and the impact of new security programs, policies and technologies.
Giffords' effort to secure the border is winning praise from Southern Arizona ranchers like Gary Thrasher, a cattleman and large animal veterinarian who has lived and worked on the border for more than 30 years.
"I don't think there has ever been any real accountability," said Thrasher. "We appreciate the congresswoman's help. She is the first local representative who has really taken a serious interest in ranchers' problems with border security."
The Border Security Accountability Act currently has 18 co-sponsors, including U.S. Reps. Harry Mitchell and Trent Franks of Arizona, Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, and Thomas Tancredo of Colorado. Click here for a copy of the bill.