Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism and Government Information Holds Hearing on Border Security Technology

FDCH TRANSCRIPTS
Congressional Hearings
Mar. 12, 2003
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism and Government Information Holds Hearing on Border Security Technology

CORNYN:

Thank you, Senator Kyl. And it's good to be on this committee. I appreciate this hearing. And I'll learn how to turn the microphones on next. But I want to say how much I appreciate the witnesses coming to address this very important issue to the United States and particularly to my state, which does have a 1,200 mile border with Mexico. And these immigration issues that I know that Subcommittee Chairman Chambliss is going to be addressing and the issues that Senator Craig just talked about are of vital concern to me as well. And I will cut my remarks short so that the witnesses can talk. But let me just say that I am mystified when I hear members of the United States Congress talk about budgetary constrains imposed by the executive branch since the way I read the Constitution, the way I understand the process to work, it's the legislature, it's the Congress that appropriates money, not the executive branch. And in fact, I know the president has expressed his concern that some of the money that he asked to appropriated for first responders in particular was not appropriated during the omnibus appropriation bill that was passed after I got here after January the 7th for the year 2003 since we did not pass a budget in that when ordinarily we would have.

So, we all have an important responsibility, each branch of the government. But I think Congress ought to own up to its responsibility and not try to foist that or point fingers at the administration when in fact we're the ones that appropriate the money and not the executive branch.

And with that, I'll yield my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

CORNYN:

As you know, the United States and Mexico are important trading partners. And a lot of the commerce that flows between our two countries comes across the Texas border. And of course, it's important to the economy, not just to my state, but to the United States that we maintain as free a flow of commerce as possible. One of the things I know at the state level because I worked on it when I was attorney general is the establishment of one stop border inspection facilities. Could you describe for us from the federal perspective what the federal government is doing to try to implement a one stop inspection facility?

In other words, notwithstanding the fact that Customs and Immigration (ph) may need to do an inspection, we also need to make sure when a truck comes across that the Department of Public Safety in my state, for example, can assure that this truck is in a safe condition so as not to jeopardize the safety of the driving public.

HUTCHINSON:

Let me ask Mr. Woody Hall to respond to that, if I might, Senator.

HALL:

We're doing a number of things. We've always had cross designated inspectors. And we're going to put more emphasis on that training so that folks who come from a different background (INAUDIBLE) stand up to new bureaus can be interchangeable. We also are working closely with the Department of Transportation to see what we can do to improve this relationship with the state organizations that need to do these safety inspections.

And we're also investing in the modernization of our information technology infrastructure so that we can share this information, not only across the bureaus within Homeland Security, but as appropriate with other departments and local law enforcement agencies. And I think all of these efforts taken together will help improve the situation that you described.

CORNYN:

Well, I certainly don't underestimate the challenge that you have or that our country has in this area of trying to strike a balance between our security and commerce. Both are important. And we need to strike the right balance. But I would like to have my staff perhaps talk at a staff to staff level to try to get some more details. I think it's very important that the federal government work closely with local officials and with the state officials to make sure that as much as possible we try to remember that the commerce aspect of this is also an important element to consider and that we do as good a job as we possibly can striking that right balance. Thank you very much.