OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Unmanned Aerial Systems

Floor Speech

Date: June 11, 2014
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, U.S. Customs and Border Protection currently possesses a very large fleet of unmanned aerial systems, or UAS's. Certainly, this technology can be a valuable asset. We want them to use it to our benefit on the border to enforce border security.

Between 2010 and 2012, the CBP flew nearly 700 missions on behalf of other Federal, State, and local agencies. They were not flying the border, in other words. As a matter of fact, some agencies have absolutely nothing to do with border security, such as the U.S. Forest Service and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

I have researched this issue, Mr. Speaker, and found no codified procedures for how DHS loans their drones out. Certainly, the use of drones for unapproved purposes is unacceptable and poses a myriad of civil liberty concerns, not to mention the fact that it potentially abuses taxpayer dollars, Mr. Speaker.

We need to ensure proper oversight is conducted, civil liberties are upheld, and taxpayer dollars aren't squandered.


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