Secure Border Act of 2011

Floor Speech

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Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I would just suggest to the ranking member, since we are running short on time, I'm going to abbreviate my remarks. I know that your eloquence is unbounded, but I will try to restrict myself.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1299, the Border Security Act of 2011, requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a strategy to gain operational control of the border within 5 years.

I want to commend Congresswoman Miller, who's the chair of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, for her leadership on this issue.

Border security is an integral element of homeland security. We must secure our borders. Since 2004, Congress has allocated billions of dollars to secure the border through investments in personnel, technology, and infrastructure; however, our borders remain vulnerable.

We know from the documents made public after the Abbottabad raid on Osama bin Laden's compound that al Qaeda continues to examine crossing the border to gain access to the U.S. It is critical that the Department produce a comprehensive strategy to gain operational control over the border.

This legislation is commonsense legislation. It has bipartisan support. I urge my colleagues to support it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, devising a comprehensive plan to secure our Nation's borders is the first step on the road to a more secure homeland. This bipartisan bill is a good start, and I ask my colleagues to support its passage.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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