Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2010

Floor Speech

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Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I certainly want to thank the chairman, Chairman Price, for the leadership in this emergency funding to be allocated to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice for enhanced Southern border security. And to all the border members, I as a border member understand why this is very important. Also I want to thank the ranking member, Mr. Lewis, and also Mr. Rogers, for the work they are doing on this issue also.

We join here today at a critical juncture of our border and homeland security. Now more than ever we need to allocate additional resources to our Nation's border. As the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee for Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, and as a Congressman that represents 250 miles of the Texas-Mexico border, where I drink the water, breathe the air, understand the border very well, I can tell you that the communities I represent are on the front line of our Nation's border and homeland security.

I recently got an official briefing by the Assistant Secretary of ICE, Mr. Morton, and got some of the most up-to-date threats facing us on our border. And certainly for our Members, I sure would like to show you some videos for anybody interested in seeing what is

happening across the river.

The threat is real, and we need to take action now, whether it is the 1,000 Border Patrol agents, the ICE agents, ATF, judiciary, or prosecutors that we are trying to add to CBP for our land ports and our airports, this is important.

I am a little disappointed that the Senate took out the Operation Stonegarden, but we are working with Chairman Price to put that money back because that money is important for our local law enforcement.

So, Madam Speaker, as a member of the border delegation, I certainly ask the House and Senate leadership to support this and other border security funding. This is not a Texas issue, nor a partisan issue. This is an American issue for the safety.

So we stand up today for our communities, for our Federal, State, and local law enforcement to give them the additional resources that they need to secure our border.

Finally, this is one step, and a critical step, forward in our ability to detect, deter, and disrupt illegal activity along the U.S.-Mexico border.

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