Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I say to you, if you want to reduce fentanyl on our streets, I ask you to vote for this amendment.

This amendment No. 13 simply allows CBP to hire additional CBP officers at our ports of entry in addition to new CBP Border Patrol agents. Our ports of entry today are the economic engine of our country. They are vital gateways for our international commerce, travel, and they collect more than $112 billion in duties and taxes every year, but our ports of entry are understaffed.

CBP has told us they need 4,000 more agents at our ports of entry. As you know, about 90 percent of fentanyl seizures and other narcotics actually happen at our ports of entry. That is with only 2 percent of the vehicles crossing being inspected. That is with only 17 percent of cargo coming across those ports of entries being inspected. If you want to stop and if you want to seize more fentanyl, you need to hire more agents at our ports of entry. It is very simple.

Today, this bill that I am amending calls for 2,000 more border agents, but only 150 new officers at our ports of entry. Let me repeat: This bill only calls for 150 new agents at our ports of entry, and my amendment simply says: Give the CBP, our folks at the border, the ability and the flexibility to determine who they hire--ports of entry, or between ports of entry. Those experts that are there protecting our borders day in and day out should make that decision.

Again, Mr. Chair, 90 percent of the fentanyl seized coming into this country is seized at our ports of entry. Ninety percent? Says who? Ninety percent, says those officers at our ports of entry.

They need our help. Let's give them the flexibility. Let's give them the tools to make sure they keep our country safe from fentanyl while continuing to increase economic commerce and trade at our borders.

Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to support amendment No. 13, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chair, and I say to my colleague on the other side of the aisle, who is absolutely correct, we need those forces at our border. I am just pointing out that we know most of the drugs, narcotics, fentanyl, come across the ports of entry. Why not give those ports additional personnel to stop the fentanyl that we know is killing our citizens, our young people in our streets.

Give them the opportunity to also hire. Give the Border Patrol and those agents at our ports of entry the ability to stop these poisons from coming into our country. One death is one death too many from an overdose from fentanyl. Let's stop fentanyl and other narcotics from coming into the country.

Again, sir, 90 percent of the fentanyl and narcotics are actually apprehended at our ports of entry. That is not my statistic. That is not his statistic. That is Homeland Security data. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chair, again, I think all of us recognize the challenges we have at our border.

What I am merely doing is presenting this amendment, amendment No. 13, in response to what I have seen at our ports of entry, which is: They need more personnel, and they need it today. Let's help them at the border keep our country safe. Let's give them the personnel and the resources they need.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

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