Speech #1050070252

This lack of training would directly reduce unit readiness. If we look at it in addition to the Department of Defense. they have indicated that this is not the right thing to do. The INS has also indicated that they would prefer to handle this in a way that the Border Patrol is involved. and I want to ask my colleagues: Would you want to see troops in your own neighborhoods. in your own community. people that might not know the area? I would ask that you seriously consider that because I would think you would not want them in Ohio. in your own back yard. Mr. Speaker. as a member of the National Security Committee. I opposed the amendment to authorize up to 10.000 additional troops on the border. and today I rise to oppose this motion to instruct conferees on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998. Our military is the worlds best trained fighting force. they are not police officers and they are not border patrol agents. They are trained to fight. and we risk grave consequences by deploying them on American soil. Such a dramatic increase of troops on the border is a dangerous proposal that will put border residents in danger and reduce military readiness. During the August break I travelled throughout my district in South Texas. including counties I represent along the U.S.-Mexico border. At every meeting. residents of the border region expressed overwhelming opposition to the proposal to increase the number of soldiers on the border. The residents expressed concerns that the soldiers are unfamiliar with the people and the area. are not trained to deal with the complexities of immigration along the border. and may not be bilingual. Border residents. just like everyone else. want to stop the influx of illegal drugs and believe in stopping the flow of undocumented immigrants. But the solution they support is more Border Patrol agents. The recently implemented Operation Rio Grande is a first step toward that goal. Last May. an 18 year old boy was killed by a Marine assisting Border Patrol agents near Redford. Texas. This tragic incident highlights the complexities of placing soldiers on the border and the potential harm to border residents. It is no wonder that the Departments of Defense and Justice and the Immigration and Naturalization Service all oppose this proposal. The Border Patrol has nearly 7.000 agents patrolling our nations borders and Congress has authorized an additional 1.000 agents every year until 2001. The San Antonio ExpressNews pointed out that the Redford incident may be isolated but warned against deploying soldiers into an area lawfully and peacefully used by private citizens. Mr. Speaker. I serve on the House National Security Readiness Subcommittee and the Readiness Panel of the Defense Authorization Conference Committee. At a time when readiness concerns and the increased operation tempo of our military are at their highest we cannot afford to pull 10.000 men and women away from their posts to do the work of Border Patrol agents. The military can provide assistance in numerous ways without this unwarranted diversion of troops. The General Counsel of the Department of Defense warned in a letter to National Security Committee Chairman Spence that the troops work along the border are of minimal value to military readiness and detract from training with warfighting equipment for warfighting missions.