Speech #1100083253

Pt. 15 July 26. 2007 from Washington State providing the time. I rise in strong support of the SalazarMenendez amendment. I expect from all of the voices I have heard in our debate about immigration as part of this Homeland Security bill that we will have resounding support for this amendment. because I know those who want to protect the United States at its border crossings are going to want to protect all of its border crossings. I have heard a lot about our challenges along our southern border. but I have heard nothing about our challenges along our northern border. In that respect. I think it is important to call the attention of the Senate to the fact that over the last several years. according to official reports. the Congressional Research Service tells us there have been nearly 69.000 individuals who have crossed over the northern border and. of course. that number is small in comparison because we dont have the Border Patrol agents on the northern border to be dealing with the interdictions that would be called for. So while there are 13.488 Border Patrol agents in the entire force. there are only 965 agents along the northern border. That northern border has over 5.525 miles of border between the United States and the North. significantly more than the 1.993 miles along the southern border. Yet over 69.000 people have crossed. to our knowledge. because if you divide out the number of Border Patrol agents at any given time on the northern border. they are looking at patrolling hundreds and hundreds of miles for a fraction of what is the Border Patrol on any given shift. Therefore. what that number tells us is that while thousands cross on the northern border. we dont even know the magnitude of it. because we are not paying attention. We are not paying attention on the northern border.