[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 211 (Tuesday, December 7, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8949-S8950]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       Nomination of Chris Magnus

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, the Senate will soon vote on the nomination 
of Chief Chris Magnus to lead the U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
Office, and I was very pleased that the Senate Finance Committee could 
advance this important nomination.
  I want to give the Senate a brief assessment of why I think Chief 
Magnus is going to handle his job very well.
  He brings a unique combination of smarts, common sense, and fairness, 
and that is really what this job is all about. For example, having 
talked to the chief at some length, he understands that strongly 
enforcing our immigration laws and treating immigrants and asylum 
seekers humanely are not mutually exclusive. You can do both. They are 
not incompatible. It is a perspective, in my view, on immigration that 
is going to help our communities, help public safety, and help our 
economy all at the same time.
  Now, there is no doubt in my mind that Chief Magnus has the right 
qualifications for this position. He is highly experienced. He started 
out in Lansing, MI, and has headed up law enforcement agencies across 
the country--East, West, North, and South.
  Currently, he serves as the chief of police in Tucson, AZ. That means 
we will have an individual leading Customs and Border Protection who 
starts on day 1--day 1--with firsthand knowledge about the challenges 
law enforcement on the southern border.
  Even beyond that specific element of Customs and Border Protection's 
work, his range of experience in law enforcement all over the country 
makes him an ideal pick to lead an Agency with tens of thousands of 
employees, staffing more than 300 points of entry to our country.
  So I think that is the heart of why he is going to be such a positive 
force with respect to border security, but I also want to note that on 
the Finance Committee, we are acutely aware that Customs and Border 
Protection is not just in the business of immigration; it is also on 
the frontlines of enforcing American trade laws. And too often in the 
past, that part of the mission has just gotten short shrift.
  Today, Customs and Border Protection is the heart of the effort to 
fight against immoral and unfair trade practices, including the use of 
forced labor in China and elsewhere. Customs and Border Protection not 
only investigates forced labor and demands remediation where 
appropriate, it also enforces the ban on forced labor products entering 
our country.
  Staying a step ahead of trade cheats, whether they are involved in 
forced labor or not, is key to protecting American jobs, our 
businesses, and innovation. Workers and businesses depend on healthy, 
functioning supply chains. We have certainly seen, since the beginning 
of the pandemic, that when the supply chains break down, you have 
enormous headaches throughout the economy, from the biggest businesses 
right down to individual families who are shopping this holiday season 
for typical holiday goods.
  During his nomination hearing, Chief Magnus assured the Finance 
Committee that Customs and Border Protection's trade mission is going 
to get the focus and the resources it needs if he is confirmed. He has 
committed to ensuring that there is adequate staffing at our ports, and 
he is interested in improving the efficiency of our customs operations 
in a way that maintains key protections for consumer safety.
  He is a first-rate nominee. It is clear he has got the right 
priorities when it comes to Customs and Border Protection challenges 
that many of our Senators care about most--securing the border and 
helping to get supply chains back to normal.
  I believe that he is going to work with all of the Members of this 
body on

[[Page S8950]]

immigration and trade-related issues going forward in a way that brings 
Democrats and Republicans together. I am very happy to support him 
today.
  And as our committee has spent the most time with the chief, I would 
like to say, as chairman of the committee, that I think he will reflect 
great credit on our country in a vital position, a position that comes 
up every day in activities across the land. He is the right person for 
this important job at the right time.
  I urge all Senators to vote for Chief Magnus later today.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.