Speech #1090168734

We helped to bring to our troops the cuttingedge technologies and resources that they need and will continue to need in fighting the war against terror. It is important to share with our colleagues and the American people that in these appropriations bills. pending bills that are coming to the Senate. we are addressing a lot of issues that are not the principal focus of the bill but are very important issues to address. issues of concern and focus of the American people. I refer to an element of border security. Most Members. as we traveled around the country and through our States over the last several weeks and during August. heard again and again that the American people expect us to focus on security at our perimeter. at our border. and at our ports. We are on the port security bill today. In addition. it is important to note. for border security interests. over the past 2 years we have made huge progress in funding initiatives along our border. as reflected in the bills. the Homeland Security appropriations bill and the bill we passed yesterday. the Department of Defense appropriations bill. If we examine the last 2 years. we see how much progress. indeed. has been made for the border. We have added 3.736 new Border Patrol agents. for a total of 14.555. We have added in these bills 9.150 new detention beds. for a total of 27.500. We have added. in these bills. 370 miles of border security fencing and added 461 miles of vehicle barriers along that Southwest border. We have added $682 million for border tactical infrastructure and facilities construction. As for detention personnel. we have added 1.373 detention personnel. for a total of over 5.500. People ask about Customs and Border Protection officers. Indeed. we have added 460 new Customs and Border Protection officers for seaport inspections. for a total of 18.321 officers at ports of entry. For the Coast Guard. in these bills. we have added $7.5 billion for the Coast Guard maritime border security. including $4 billion for Coast Guard port security and $2.1 billion for deepwater assets. I mention these figures and this data because that is what we have done over the last 2 years in the supplemental bill. the Homeland Security bill. and the Department of Defense appropriations bill. In fact. spending on border and immigration enforcement has increased from less than $4 billion prior to 9/11 to over $16 billion todaya fourfold increase. Catch and release has been ended. Apprehensions are up along the border by 45 percent.