Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2006
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006 -- (Senate - July 14, 2005)
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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, the Collins amendment, No. 1137, would allow the use of law enforcement terrorism prevention funds to be used for overtime costs associated with providing law enforcement operations in support of Federal agencies for increased border security and border crossing enforcement.
I am pleased to be joined in this amendment by Senator Dorgan.
There has been considerable discussion in recent months on the need to improve border security. One way to do this is to increase the number of Border Patrol Agents. But it takes significant time to recruit and train new Federal law enforcement agents. A more immediate way to improve border security is to activate our existing State, local, and tribal law enforcement partners as a back-up force in support of Federal border agents.
This is not a new idea. The Department of Homeland Security has authorized this use with different funds in the past. Beginning with the last Federal election period up until the Presidential inauguration last January, Operation Stonegarden permitted reimbursement for State and local law enforcement activities that assisted Federal officials in securing the border.
My own State of Maine participated in that operation with a great degree of success. Arthur Cleaves, the Director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency, told me that Maine realized the Nation's second highest level of agency participation in Operation Stonegarden with 22 State, county, local, and tribal agencies involved. These dedicated law enforcement professionals assisted the Border Patrol Sector in Houlton, ME, with increased patrols, reporting of incidents, and arrests of significant persons attempting to enter the United States from Canada. In fact, according to the final report on the program's activities in Maine, more than 12 arrests of persons on Government watch lists were made by State and local law enforcement in Maine.
Now, however, the Department proposes to pull the rug out from under border States by allowing urban area grant funds to be used for such border security efforts, but not State grant funds.
This approach makes no sense whatsoever. And when my staff asked, even the Department could not explain the rationale behind the policy of allowing interior cities--but not more rural border areas--to use Federal funds to partner with State, local, and tribal law enforcement to protect our borders.
Partnering with State and local law enforcement is a proven and cost effective way to buttress our Nation's Federal border security efforts. I urge its adoption.
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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, last week we saw the terrorist attack on an ally. Our country faces very important homeland security challenges. We have been in the midst of debating important public policy issues--how best to secure mass transit or to prepare our first responders. I cannot believe the Senate has diverted from that important debate--a debate important to Americans all across this country--and instead of finishing up the Homeland Security bill, we have diverted to debate these issues.
We should not be doing this. This is exactly why the American public holds Congress in such low esteem right now.
We should be focusing on the national security and homeland security challenges facing this Nation. We should not be engaging in this debate. I, for one, am going to vote no on both of the amendments.
I yield the floor.
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