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Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, as the chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, I am happy to remind
our colleagues of the provisions in this bill that will enhance border security.
The Obey amendment will add money for urgent needs, to address the alarming level of violence attributable to Mexican gangs and drug cartels. It will increase the presence of critical Border Patrol and Customs personnel at the border, and it will strengthen the protection of jeopardized communities.
There are four critical aspects of these border provisions:
First, the Obey amendment will strengthen enforcement between ports of entry to deter and apprehend smugglers and illegal crossings. That means 1,200 new Border Patrol agents. It means up to three additional forward operating bases, and it will provide two new unmanned aircraft systems for CBP to patrol the border.
Second, the Obey amendment will tighten enforcement at ports of entry while aiding legitimate travel and commerce. It will sustain hundreds of critical CBP officer positions at risk of being cut because of declining fee collections. It will add 500 CBP officers for inspection and enforcement at ports of entry, inbound and outbound, to crack down on drugs, weapons, cash, and alien traffickers.
Third, the bill enhances Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE's) investigative operations on the border and their cooperation with our Mexican partners to target the cartels, their criminal enterprises, and their violent henchmen.
Four new Southwest Border Enforcement Security Task Forces. Additional vetted law enforcement units with the Government of Mexico. A 120-day surge in the ICE Joint Criminal Alien Removal Task Force and Criminal Alien Programs. Training for Mexican officials on investigations of transnational drug smuggling, money laundering, human trafficking, and child exploitation.
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Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Finally, the bill expands aid to State and local partners along the border, expanding the grant assistance under Operation Stonegarden to State and local law enforcement in cooperation with DHS.
Mr. Speaker, this Obey amendment would greatly enhance our border security. I urge its adoption.
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