[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 4765-4766]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   WELCOMING COMMISSIONER KERLIKOWSKE

  (Mr. HIGGINS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)

[[Page 4766]]


  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to welcome Gil Kerlikowske, recently 
confirmed as Commissioner of the United States Customs and Border 
Protection.
  I am pleased to welcome a Commissioner who has an understanding of 
the needs of the northern border, as he previously served as police 
commissioner for the city of Buffalo. His firsthand experience comes at 
a critical time as we work to advance the United States-Canada Beyond 
the Border initiative.
  In western New York, this cross-border relationship is especially 
critical to the local economy. I worked with Customs and Border 
Protection in the past to advocate for increased border staffing levels 
along the border. At the Peace Bridge, there is also a pre-inspection 
pilot currently underway that hopes to ease congestion and shorten wait 
times. In the coming year, we hope to continue moving forward on plans 
to construct a new border station at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve 
Base.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Commissioner Kerlikowske. I look forward 
to working closely with him and his staff on issues important to the 
Buffalo-Niagara region and the entire Nation.

                          ____________________