[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 69 (Friday, May 24, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E917-E918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF THE STRENGTHENING A FAST ENTRY AT THE BORDER ACT OF 
                           2002 (SAFE BORDER)

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. SUSAN DAVIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 23, 2002

  Ms. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about an 
opportunity to secure our borders and support commerce.
  Securing our borders has long been a challenge. Doing so must balance 
appropriate enforcement without hindering legitimate crossborder travel 
or commerce, and still protect civil liberties. However, the events of 
September 11, coupled with daily traffic between the U.S.-Mexico 
border, have severely overextended our border inspection resources.
  My district does not contain ports of entry, but its proximity to the 
border has affected it. I hear stories from my constituents about 
waiting in line for hours in the morning to commute to work. Long 
inspection lines are commonplace, with delays lasting several hours. 
This border congestion has negatively impacted San Diego area 
businesses.
  In response, I have been working with various organizations in the 
district to develop a strategy to provide relief for San Diego. I have 
heard from many about SENTRI, a dedicated commuter lane demonstration 
project at the border that integrates technology with law enforcement.
  SENTRI addresses the issues of congestion and long border delays by 
quickly moving low risk travelers lhrough the inspection process. 
Frequent travelers participate in the SENTRI program by undergoing an 
extensive background check and interview to verify their low risk 
status. Once approved, the participants and their registered vehicles 
enter the country through a traffic lane exclusively reserved for them. 
Transponders in the car retrieve the vehicle and occupant information 
from the SENTRI database and display it on a screen within the 
inspection booth for fast identification. A border agent then compares 
the car's occupants to the pictures on the screen, allowing them to 
quickly continue on their way.
  Demand for SENTRI passes has significantly increased since September 
11. However, prospective participants encounter a tremendous 
application backlog. Applicants face up to a six-month waiting time to 
receive an appointment with the enrollment center and another three 
months for approval notification.
  As a result, I am introducing the Strengthening a Fast Entry at the 
Border Act or the SAFE Border Act of 2002. The SAFE Border Act will 
increase security by pre-screening more people and by allowing agents 
to focus their enforcement efforts on those who have not passed 
extensive background checks.
  Specifically, my legislation does three things: it gives the attorney 
general the authority to fully implement and make programs like SENTRI 
pen-nanent. Dedicated commuter lanes and PortPASS programs have clearly 
shown their effectiveness in maintaining security and expediting 
travel. I believe the nation can only benefit from further expansion of 
these programs.
  The second part allows INS and Customs personnel to devote more 
resources to prospective applicants by extending the permit renewal 
period to two years. By design, enrollees are a self-selected 
population. Focusing more attention to applicants will move more people 
out of the general commuter lanes and allow more background checks. 
Extending the renewal period will substantially reduce the waiting time 
for those seeking SENTRI approval and increase legitimate border 
traffic.
  The last part of my legislation encourages increased staffing and 
resource allocation to SENTRI. Our borders are protected by a dedicated 
group of Customs and INS officers. Their constant vigilance constitutes 
our first

[[Page E918]]

line of defense against threats and we owe them our gratitude. However, 
they need our federal assistance in carrying out their duties.
  I urge all of my colleagues in Congress to work with me to pass the 
SAFE Border Act quickly into law.

                          ____________________