[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 21 (Thursday, February 4, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE CHALLENGES FACING OUR BORDER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Tony Gonzales) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the 
Chamber for the first time in my service to the 23rd District of Texas.
  My path to Congress has been marked by many obstacles. At age 18, I 
left high school to join the Navy and provide a path to success for my 
family. As I embarked on a 20-year career as a cryptologist, I deployed 
to Iraq and Afghanistan and gained a deep understanding of the security 
issues that currently affect our Nation.
  Today, many of those issues are visible along our Southern border, 
especially within my district, which spans over 800 miles between the 
U.S. and Mexico border. The challenges facing our district are 
compounded by the minute, and it is imperative that Congress take 
action.
  Mr. Speaker, as I have made my way around the district, I have seen 
firsthand the men and women who are doing the work. People like Sheriff 
Martinez in Val Verde County, like Sheriff Coe in Kinney County. We 
have other sheriffs throughout. We have Chief Guajardo in Eagle Pass 
and Chief Rodriguez in Uvalde. We have Sheriff Dodson. These are the 
men and women on the ground every day doing the work.
  That is why I am proud to introduce the Security First Act, to ensure 
our borders are safe, resilient, and adaptive to 21st century 
challenges. One of the primary objectives to my bill is to authorize an 
increase in grant funding for Operation Stonegarden.
  As a key pillar of our border security framework, Operation 
Stonegarden provides resources to local law enforcement agencies 
involved in Customs and Border Protection operations. By enabling our 
sheriffs and police departments to collaborate with CBP and United 
States Border Patrol, Operation Stonegarden helps create a layered 
approach to border security and encourages a joint collaboration across 
all levels of Government. Operation Stonegarden funds can be used to 
purchase field equipment to enhance operational efficiencies.
  The United States has long been a leader in technology. So equipping 
our boots on the ground with sophisticated tools to do their job is 
exactly what is needed. After speaking to countless law enforcement 
agents in my district, it is clear that more funding for this program 
is needed. A surge at our Southern border is occurring.
  The Security First Act proposes a 4-year increase to current 
Stonegarden funding levels and requires that all moneys seized from 
drug trafficking activities at the Southern border be funneled to the 
Stonegarden account. By strengthening our ability to cope with evolving 
security challenges, the Security First Act helps protect the integrity 
of our Southern border.

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