[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 65 (Thursday, April 30, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H5002]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   BORDER MONEY GOING TO WRONG PLACES

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, Homeland Security is going to spend 
$740 million to beef up legal ports of entry into the United States. We 
absolutely need more border security. The problem is the bureaucrats 
who have probably never been to either of our borders are sending most 
of that money to little-used crossings, including one that just handles 
two cars and sees only four people a day. Many of these 37 crossings 
that are getting money average merely 50 cars and 85 people a day.
  Contrast that with the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo legal crossing. It is 
receiving no additional money, and it is the largest legal port of 
entry in North America. It is vital to U.S.-Mexico trade. Over 7,000 
18-wheelers a day cross that border in each direction. Trucks wait 2 
hours to come into the United States. The vast majority of these trucks 
are not screened due to manpower and money issues.
  Why not close the little used ports of entry that are now receiving 
most of the money and send the border agents where they could do some 
real good, to the port of entry where people and vehicles actually 
cross? But that would be too logical for the D.C. bureaucrats.
  And that's just the way it is.

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