Cornyn Meets With Homeland Security Chief, Makes Renewed Push For Valley Levee Proposal & Consultation On Fence
Press Release
Cornyn Meets With Homeland Security Chief, Makes Renewed Push For Valley Levee Proposal & Consultation On Fence
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today met with U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff in a renewed effort to urge the Secretary to consider a valley levee proposal Sen. Cornyn had brought to his attention earlier this year. In November, Sen. Cornyn wrote to Secretary Chertoff, requesting that he give consideration to a proposal to incorporate the levees of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) as DHS moves forward with border fencing plans under the Secure Fence Act.
"I have met on several occasions with local leaders, Border Patrol, IBWC, FEMA, and community members. They have proposed several solutions that could be mutually beneficial to address the various federal missions in the area, including boosting border security and improving flood control in the region. To ensure these ideas are considered in Washington, I've appealed again to Secretary Chertoff to urge him to take advantage of their valuable perspective," Sen. Cornyn said.
The IBWC proposal was one of many topics addressed at an October roundtable meeting hosted by Sen. Cornyn in Pharr, which brought together local mayors, county officials, Border Patrol agents, and representatives from FEMA, IBWC, DHS, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to discuss FEMA's Levee Certification process as it applies to the IBWC levees.
Sen. Cornyn also received an update on DHS' progress on border fence implementation in Texas and the status of negotiations with affected Texas private landowners. He has repeatedly emphasized the need for DHS to meet with border community leaders to ensure that local concerns are heard.
"I am committed to ensuring that the Homeland Security Department consults with state and local officials on border security efforts. An open dialogue on the implementation of security measures along the border will ensure that we achieve these goals in the most effective manner," Sen. Cornyn said.
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