[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 77 (Thursday, May 20, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE DEPLOY NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO THE BORDER ACT

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                         HON. HARRY E. MITCHELL

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2010

  Mr. MITCHELL. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of bipartisan 
legislation I introduced earlier today with my colleague Representative 
Dana Rohrabacher of California: The Deploy National Guard Troops to the 
Border Act.
  The Federal Government has a responsibility to secure the border, and 
it simply hasn't done it. As a result, we are once again facing an 
emergency. Not just an emergency at the border, I might add, but an 
emergency in the interior--in places like Phoenix, where smugglers and 
Mexican drug cartels have set up vast networks of drop houses, which 
operate as way stations for their illegal activities. The crime and 
violence associated with these drop houses is horrendous. Phoenix has 
become a kidnapping capital.
  This is completely unacceptable.
  While, undoubtedly, Congress needs to secure the border and fix our 
broken immigration system--the situation at the border cannot wait 
simply because it is an election year. This is an urgent threat to our 
national security.
  I have urged President Obama to send additional National Guard troops 
to the border, much like I urged President Bush to extend the 
deployment of National Guard troops to the border in 2008. Sadly, to no 
avail.
  That is why, today, I am introducing legislation to deploy 3,000 
National Guard troops to the border to assist U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection.
  Taking this step will help secure the border while Congress works on 
a more comprehensive, permanent fix.
  The National Guard has successfully assisted with border security in 
the past. Operation Jump Start, which concluded its mission in 2008 
proved remarkably effective. According to the U.S. Customs and Border 
Patrol, the Yuma Sector experienced a 68-percent decrease in 
apprehensions between October 1, 2006, and July 31, 2007, compared with 
the previous year. Border-wide, the National Guard helped seize more 
than 1,080 vehicles used to transport drugs and/or illegal immigrants, 
more than 300,600 pounds of marijuana, and 5,060 pounds of cocaine.
  I thought the National Guard was drawn down too quickly and offered 
an amendment at the time to extend their deployment. Unfortunately my 
amendment was blocked from floor consideration.
  I know there are strong views about immigration reform, and I know 
this is an election year. But we cannot let petty political concerns or 
inflammatory rhetoric to continue to compromise our national security. 
We cannot continue to kick this down the road for future Congresses to 
deal with. Now is the time to tone down the rhetoric, come together and 
take this critical step.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this bill, 
and continue to work on a permanent security solution, as well as a fix 
to our broken and ineffectual immigration system.

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