[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 85 (Thursday, June 7, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1008]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2013

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                               speech of

                            HON. JEFF FLAKE

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 6, 2012

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5855) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for 
     the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer an amendment, designated as 
Flake #1.
  This amendment is straight forward; it would reduce funding for the 
Office of the Secretary by $50,000 and transfer a revenue neutral 
amount to U.S. Customs and Border Protection salaries and expenses.
  This is a nominal cut from the Secretary's nearly $122 million in 
funding, again only slightly more than the Committee provided for the 
Secretary to spend on receptions next year.
  I offer this amendment as a means of bringing an important issue to 
both Congress' and more importantly the Secretary's attention.
  Let me start by thanking the Chairman and Ranking Member for their 
attention to border issues in this bill as well as the staff's 
assistance in bringing this amendment to the floor.
  In the report accompanying last year's Homeland Security 
appropriations bill, the Committee directed the Department to provide a 
``resource allocation and staffing model for the ports of entry.''
  As would appear to be the trend with Congressional requests for 
information, answers to questions, or budget documentation, the 
Department either failed to prioritize or simply ignored this request 
and it is reiterated in this year's report.
  The committee report notes: ``As the Committee has not yet received 
the CBP workload staffing allocation model, the Committee cannot assess 
CBP's identified needs.''
  As we are all no doubt aware, funding for border security efforts 
between the ports of entry has increased exponentially over recent 
years, while the budget for Customs and Border Patrol officers at the 
ports has not kept pace.
  As I travel the border region, in addition to concerns regarding 
border security and the changing nature of threats between the ports, I 
hear persistent concerns that our ports of entry are understaffed.
  Those serving at the ports of entry have at least a dual role, 
facilitating legitimate trade and travel safely while also preventing 
unauthorized people and goods to cross the border.
  I could talk at length about the benefits of cross-border trade for 
communities along our borders and beyond, but let me cite just a couple 
of examples.
  Focusing on the southern border, Mexico is the third largest U.S. 
trading partner and the second largest U.S. export market, with a 
reported six million U.S. jobs depending on trade with Mexico.
  The executive director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission was recently 
quoted as saying ``Arizona's border is the gateway for some $26 billion 
worth of imports and exports and some 44 million people each year.''
  A recent Maricopa Association of Governments release cited that legal 
Mexican visitors spend roughly $7.3 million a day in Arizona and 
Arizona business exported nearly $6 billion in goods in 2011.
  Benefits of trade along the southern border are certainly not limited 
to border communities.
  For example, the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales is one of the 
largest ports of entry for fruit and vegetables in the U.S. In 2011, 
the U.S. imported 13.4 billion pounds of fresh produce grown in Mexico 
and more than a third of that entered through Nogales.
  Clearly, a secure border and economic stability in the border region 
are not mutually exclusive and main component of success toward that 
goal is the right staffing levels.
  I can assure you that I am the last member that would support writing 
any agency a blank check. The process of the Appropriations Committee 
performing the necessary oversight and accurately reviewing port of 
entry staffing needs begins with the Department delivering the staffing 
model and information that was requested a year ago.
  I thank the chairman and urge adoption of the amendment.

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