U.S. REP. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS KEEPS PRESSURE ON WHITE HOUSE TO SECURE BORDER

Congresswoman again urges administration to heed “pleas for help” by deploying the National Guard to the border

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today stepped up pressure on the Obama administration to deploy National Guard troops to Arizona’s border with Mexico.

In a letter sent today to President Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Giffords wrote that the deployment of the Guard “represents an essential first step in reassuring Arizona’s border communities of our commitment to their safety.”

The congresswoman also asked for the administration’s assistance in getting cell phone providers to improve service to rural Arizona, increasing the Border Patrol presence in those same areas and creating a task force to better coordinate border security efforts.

“The people I represent do not believe that their federal government has heard their pleas for help,” Giffords wrote. “While much has been done over the past months to increase border security, it is clear that our border is not yet secure and that drug cartel violence is threatening the lives of our citizens.”

Giffords, whose 8th Congressional District includes 114 miles of international border, called for the Guard’s deployment on March 30, three days after Rob Krentz was murdered on his Cochise County cattle ranch.

“On April 10, I attended the funeral service for Mr. Krentz,” Giffords wrote. “More than 1,200 people gathered to pay their respects and mourn with his family. Many who spoke remembered Mr. Krentz as a humanitarian and a neighbor who was always there to lend a hand. He was foremost a wonderful husband, brother, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. We cannot let his murder pass without taking all necessary action to ensure that no more such deaths take place in this border community.”

The congresswoman also provided Obama and Napolitano with a copy of an 18-point border security plan released this week by the Arizona Cattle Growers Association. Giffords wrote that the plan, which includes items the congresswoman has long-supported, “spells out a comprehensive and thoughtful list of solutions that deserve serious consideration.”

Giffords concluded: “On behalf of the people I represent and the thousands of other Americans who live in the most troubled sections of our southern border, I ask for your help in meeting the first responsibility of government: to provide for the safety and protection of its citizens.”

A copy of the letter is below.

April 15, 2010

President Barack H. Obama
The White House
Washington, DC  20500

The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Secretary of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC  20528

 
Dear Mr. President and Secretary Napolitano,

I am writing to update you on recent developments since the March 27 murder of one of Southern Arizona’s own, Rob Krentz.

The people I represent do not believe that their federal government has heard their pleas for help.  While much has been done over the past months to increase border security, it is clear that our border is not yet secure and that drug cartel violence is threatening the lives of our citizens.  The death of Mr. Krentz was an unthinkable tragedy, but many say it was only a matter of time given the increasing dangers that smuggling operations have brought to the U.S.-Mexico border.

As you know, I wrote to you on March 30 in the wake of Mr. Krentz’s murder and asked that you take immediate action to protect the people who live and work along the border.  Then and now, I believe that the deployment of the National Guard represents an essential first step in reassuring Arizona’s border communities of our commitment to their safety. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible regarding this decision.

I also echoed recommendations that ranchers in Southern Arizona have long called for:  more Border Patrol Agents, the establishment of forward operating bases, increased use of surveillance technology, better electronic communication systems, and the creation of a joint agency task force to better coordinate border security efforts. I hope that these suggestions are given the utmost consideration, and I anxiously await your response.

On March 31, I met with more than 400 ranchers and residents in Apache, Arizona. Soon after, I convened a productive conference call with Secretary Napolitano and representatives of the ranching community.  In these discussions, many of the same solutions were reiterated by the people who live with these problems every day.  There is unanimous agreement that these common-sense and practical steps will help us resolve the crisis on our border. 

In my discussions with ranchers since the murder of Mr. Krentz, the lack of reliable cell phone service has repeatedly been identified as a central problem.  This poor coverage makes it impossible for ranchers to reliably contact law enforcement agencies when they see criminal activity taking place on their land.  The ranchers emphasized that gaps in cell phone coverage contributed to a delay in the search for Mr. Krentz and also hindered coordination of an immediate hunt for his killer.

On April 9, I asked the CEOs of Verizon Wireless and AT&T to help us address this problem by taking immediate steps to improve cell phone service in the area.  I request that you join me in urging these companies to install mobile reception towers while a permanent communication solution is found and implemented. These companies have the technology to make life safer for their customers in the area, and I hope they will soon step up to help. I have enclosed these letters for your information.

On April 10, I attended the funeral service for Mr. Krentz.  More than 1,200 people gathered to pay their respects and mourn with his family.  Many who spoke remembered Mr. Krentz as a humanitarian and a neighbor who was always there to lend a hand.   He was foremost a wonderful husband, brother, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend.  We cannot let his murder pass without taking all necessary action to ensure that no more such deaths take place in this border community.

On April 12, the Arizona Cattle Growers Association provided my office with an advance copy of their 18-point plan for improved border security. It was released publicly on April 13 at a press conference in Phoenix.  I have enclosed a copy of the plan for your review.  After closely reviewing the association’s plan, I believe it spells out a comprehensive and thoughtful list of solutions that deserve serious consideration by your administration. The association’s plan reiterates many of the actions that I have proposed.  I agree with their assessment that the border area “has become a lawless region.”  We can and must bring this situation under control, and the responsibility rests with the federal government to get the job done.

On behalf of the people I represent and the thousands of other Americans who live in the most troubled sections of our southern border, I ask for your help in meeting the first responsibility of government: to provide for the safety and protection of its citizens.

Sincerely Yours,

Gabrielle Giffords
Member of Congress