Senator Kent Conrad | North Dakota

Homeland Security

"The most solemn obligation of government is to provide for the safety and security of the citizens it serves. I vow to work with President Obama and do everything I can to keep our country strong and secure, while adhering to the constitutional principles and freedoms that make America great."
--Senator Kent Conrad

Protecting our nation requires the determination and commitment of people throughout all levels of government, from local first responders to elite intelligence units.

At the federal level, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is tasked with monitoring our borders and protecting our ports of entry. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is responsible for gathering intelligence across the globe to ascertain and address threats to our nation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) plays an indispensable security role through its investigation of potential dangers within our borders. Our military and diplomatic corps are also integral to keeping America safe through their operations around the world.

Senator Conrad has worked with other members of Congress to ensure that the legislative branch fulfills its obligations as well, particularly along the Northern Border, where DHS makes around 6,000 arrests and seizes more than 40,000 pounds in illegal drugs each year. In 2004, Senator Conrad passed the "Smart Border" initiative into law which directed DHS to institute a high-tech pilot project that uses sensors, cameras, unmanned aircraft, and advanced computing technology to monitor remote stretches of the border with Canada. He also played a vital role in establishing the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air Branch in Grand Forks, which opened in late 2007 to supplement CBP's extensive ground operations, and which will serve as a hub for unmanned aircraft patrolling the northern border of the United States. In 2010, he sponsored legislation mandating a new anti-drug smuggling strategy for the Northern Border.

On the Southern Border, Senator Conrad supported the Secure Fence Act in 2006 which directed DHS to construct reinforced fencing and additional barriers and detection equipment along five stretches of the southern border, totaling roughly 850 miles. Conrad has also supported legislation to expedite the construction and improve the efficacy of these barriers. In addition, Border Patrol Agents are critical to preventing the flow of illegal aliens, and Senator Conrad has repeatedly supported legislation to increase the number of agents on our borders. We currently have more than 20,000 Border Patrol agents working to secure our nation��s borders, a record number and an increase of 6,000 since 2006. These efforts, along with stricter workplace enforcement, are working. Deportations are at record levels, and most experts believe illegal border crossings are down significantly from a few years ago.

Finally, because our local communities are central to the effort to keep our nation secure, Senator Conrad has been a strong supporter of state and local First Responder agencies. As Chairman of the Budget Committee, he has supported full funding for things like COPS hiring grants that help local police departments keep officers on the streets and FIRE grants that help volunteer fire departments purchase equipment. And he is a lead sponsor of the Strengthening Community Safety Act, which would create a new grant program to help alleviate the burden on local law enforcement and emergency agencies that face shortages when first responders are called up for active duty in the military.