Mr. Speaker. I rise this morning to urge my colleagues to cosponsor a bill that the gentlewoman from Texas and I are introducing today. the Border Control Recruitment and Retention Act. This bill will correct a longstanding problem within the INS. and begins to address some of the recruitment and retention problems we have heard so much about lately. This bill is not a cureall. It is. however. a step in the right direction. I will continue to work with my colleagues on legislation for comprehensive pay reform for the United States Border Patrol. Currently most Border Patrol agents are kept at the GS9 Journeyman level. with only 30 percent of the work force actually working at GS11. even though their work is much more comprehensive. The bill we are introducing today states that any GS9 with a current rating of fully successful will automatically qualify for GS11. What does this mean? It means that on the average. Border Patrol agents will move from a salary of about $34.000 a year to a salary of about $41.000. It addresses a pay disparity. It is fitting that we introduce this legislation today and push for its passage this year. which is the United States Border Patrols 7th anniversary. I believe that this is the least we can do for an agency that is at the front line of the defense for this country.
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Border Control Border Patrol