Speech #1140025956

I rise in opposition to this amendment. It is d6ji vu all over again. Once again. the Congress is confronted with a Republican effort to militarize our borders by funneling billions of dollars of military equipment to local law enforcement anywhere in the country for border security activities. The 1033 program transfers billions of dollars of military equipment to law enforcement agencies without any congressional oversight or community input. This amendment adds a border security activities priority to the program that will quietly funnel militarygrade weaponry to law enforcement for this poorly defined priority. Passage of this amendment means that any law enforcement agency anywhere in the country can get an MRAP or an M16 straight from the battlefield in Iraq if they simply tell the DOD they need it for border security activities. regardless of whether the agency is 10 miles or thousands of miles from the border with Mexico or Canada. Mr. Chairman. this amendment also means that campus police at local school districts and colleges can get the same MRAP or M16 straight from the battlefield in Iraq if they tell the DOD they need it for border security activities. Last year. Republicans tried to include this language in the fiscal year 15 NDAA. Congress wisely chose to reject it. Earlier this year. Republicans tried to pass this language by burying it in their failed border security bill. but. fortunately. the Congress wisely chose to reject the idea once again. But here we are once again confronted with this absurd reality and this effort to give local police this equipment.