[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 14 (Thursday, February 10, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E221]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       BILL TO ASSURE ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR BORDER SECURITY AGENTS

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                     HON. C.A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER

                              of maryland

                  in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 10, 2005

  Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a simple, 
straightforward bill to ensure that as the architects of the 
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, we keep our 
promises regarding border security to the American people, the 9/11 
Families who fought so tirelessly for passage of that legislation, and 
the members of the 9/11 Commission.
  By architects, I am referring to Members of the House and Senate--
both Democrat and Republican--who fought for Intel Reform and voted 
overwhelmingly to see that bill become law. I am also referring to the 
President, who signed that legislation into law on December 17, 2004.
  Border security is not some esoteric term of art created by a bunch 
of lawyers writing complicated pieces of legislation that laymen will 
never understand. Border security means exactly what it says: secure 
our borders to prevent those who should not enter America from entering 
America. We wrote a good piece of legislation that prescribed 
additional funding for what we all agreed was needed--additional border 
security agents to implement our border security plan. We can write all 
the laws we want, but without boots on the ground in the place where we 
need them the most we cannot win the battle. This is as true in border 
security as it is in war.
  I commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for passing Intel 
Reform last Congress. It was a tiresome fight well worth the result. It 
was not perfect, but the legislation signed into law by President Bush 
took a great leap forward to protect our American families and 
communities.
  That bill included a provision to add 2,000 border security agents 
every year for five years beginning in 2006. In order for that to 
happen, the President would need to budget for 2,000 additional agents 
in the budget he submitted this week to Congress and Congress would 
need to appropriate that money to the Department of Homeland Security. 
Only two months after signing Intel Reform into law, this 
Administration has budgeted for only 10 percent of the border security 
agents we agreed were necessary.
  I am introducing this bill to ensure that this legislative body keeps 
its word to the American people to provide 100 percent of the border 
security protection we decreed to be necessary. I urge House and Senate 
leadership to bring this bill to the floor immediately to rectify this 
discrepancy. I urge my colleagues to join me in funding this important 
priority and putting the boots on the ground where we said we need them 
to ensure our borders are secure.

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