Honoring and congratulating the U.S. Border Patrol on its 85th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H. Resolution 498, celebrating the anniversary of the Border Patrol and honoring their service.

The Border Patrol was established in the Immigration Act of 1924, and celebrated its 85th anniversary just recently on May 28, 2009.

The Border Patrol is one of the most public faces of the Department of Homeland Security. For those who aren't familiar with the differences, the Border Patrol covers the areas between the ports of entry as opposed to the ports of entry. The 18,000 men and women in green work every day along the borders and coastlines of the United States, often in some of the most rugged and challenging terrain.

I have this outsized map here that the Marfa sector of the Border Patrol had given me from Texas. And this is just one small section of the border, but I wanted to use it to illustrate a few points. Marfa, Texas, is one of the more, let's just say, rural parts of America, which is why it was featured in ``No Country for Old Men,'' ``There Will Be Blood,'' because it was such a kind of an undeveloped area.

The area at the bottom on the point is the big bend of Texas that you see. That's Big Bend National Park. Those mountains in that area, the Chisnos, are about 7,000 feet. A lot of people think our border is just flat and that it would be very easy to see all the problems coming through, but, in fact, it's very mountainous.

The far northwest edge of this map, in the western side of the Marfa sector, is Presidio. Presidio is a point of entry. That point of entry, for example, it's called Presidio because it was a fort, and that's where General Pershing, for example, chased Pancho Villa across. There's no other legal point of entry for hundreds of miles as you go across that border through Big Bend and up until the far side, which is near Lake Amistad and Del Rio sector. These areas are very vulnerable to penetration by any number of things.

And a lot of times the Border Patrol, as well as illustrating that the National Park Service has a huge chunk there, huge chunk over in other parks, that this border is not simple, and that when people say, Can't you just put a couple of thousand agents there and control the border, well, no, it is an incredible challenge.

During my time in Congress, I have had the opportunity to visit almost every Border Patrol sector on the north and south borders. There's 2,000 miles on the south, 4,000 miles on the north. The challenges are diverse, and the criminal element seeking to exploit our open borders are inventive and have significant resources. Drug smugglers are using helicopters, ultralight aircraft, fast boats, and something as simple as coyotes, forcing illegal aliens to carry 50- pound loads of drugs on their back to bring in contraband. The challenge is endless and the mission is critical.

In the 6-plus years that the Border Patrol has been in the Department of Homeland Security, their agency has doubled in size. Congress has provided authorization funding for hundreds of miles of fencing and vehicle barriers, which combined, total over 600 miles. Efforts to provide additional technological resources to the Border Patrol through the SBInet program, that should, when complete, provide an additional capability to detect and respond to illegal entry.

A sign that the efforts to gain operational control of the border are working is the growing drug cartel violence in Mexico. Nearly 8,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico. It's a tragic situation, and it is absolutely critical that we continue to support and strengthen the Government of Mexico, headed by President Calderon.

At the same time, we must further strengthen our own border security efforts, and cannot be dependent on another nation doing that.

The Border Patrol's years of honorable service have not been without loss. To date, 104 agents have lost their lives in duty to their country. Additionally, hundreds of assaults, from rockings to Molotov cocktails to threats on their lives occur every year to our Border Patrol agents.

As we celebrate the 85th anniversary of the Border Patrol, it is important to remember and honor the agents who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country. Luis Aguilar is the most recent who was run over by a drug smuggler trying to flee. As the guards of our borders, the Border Patrol is an important layer of security and often the last line of defense in preventing dangerous people and goods from entering the United States and infiltrating the U.S. communities.

The Border Patrol cannot let down their guard as criminal organizations are continually looking for vulnerabilities in our security to bring in contraband. The consequences of a drug load that slips through the layered defense are significant. According to the Department of Justice, in 2007 almost 32 percent of high school seniors used marijuana in the past year and 5 percent had used cocaine. The vast majority of these drugs are smuggled across our borders.

The reality of post-September 11, 2001, is that terrorist organizations may also seek to exploit openings along our borders to smuggle operatives or potential weapons. In the week since their anniversary, May 28, the Border Patrol has apprehended six alien gang members and four convicted sex offenders, seized three guns, six trailers carrying contraband, including one with 40 illegal aliens; seized 16,609 pounds of marijuana, five vehicles and an ultralight aircraft. And my favorite is about 6 a.m. last Sunday, agents spotted an individual on a surf board approximately 200 yards offshore paddling north of the international border in Imperial Beach. The surfer was holding a blue duffel bag. He released it as agents approached. Soon after, the blue duffel floated ashore and was inspected by Border Patrol agents and had five packages of marijuana with an estimated street value at $75,000. They're creative, if nothing else, and our Border Patrol has to be creative and persistent in response.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution and to honor the Border Patrol, express support for their important mission and pledge support to enhance their capabilities to gain operational control over our border.

[From www.cbp.gov, Mar. 23, 2009]

85 Years of Protected By

Thursday, May 28, 2009, will mark the 85th anniversary of

the United States Border Patrol. Founded in 1924, the U.S.

Border Patrol was established in El Paso, Texas, and Detroit,

Michigan. The Purpose: To combat the illegal entry of aliens,

contraband, and the flow of illicit liquor from Mexico and

Canada into the United States. The U.S. Border Patrol is

steeped in a long and rich history that is passed down to

each new recruit as they begin their careers at the academy.

The newly organized El Paso Border Patrol Station was

assigned 25 Patrol Inspectors, many of whom were recruited

from the ranks of the Texas Rangers. Today, The Border Patrol

boasts over 18,000 agents, in 20 sectors, and 164 stations

around the nation.

Under the authority of the Immigration Act, approved by

Congress on May 28, 1924, the Border Patrol was created as a

uniformed law enforcement branch of the Immigration Bureau.

This prompted the establishment of the El Paso Border Patrol

Sector on July 1, 1924. It was the height of Prohibition in

the United States, and organized crime was a growing concern,

as the mafia controlled a majority of the alcohol being

smuggled into the United States. As a result, liquor

smuggling from Mexico and Canada became a well organized,

thriving industry. The opportunity to earn substantial sums

of money became a temptation for many illegal aliens that

were willing to enter the United States carrying a few crates

of contraband.

It wasn't long before gun battles began to erupt between

Border Patrolmen, and smugglers attempting to avoid arrest.

In February 1927, El Paso Sector experienced one of the

bloodiest months for the agency. As old newspapers report,

during the entire month, there had not been a 24-hour period

of time without a gunfight between smugglers and Patrol

Inspectors. These gunfights added to the renown of the Border

Patrol, as patrolmen gained a reputation for winning most of

these shootouts.

Almost immediately after the establishment of the El Paso

Station, a need was seen to have officers at outlying

locations. Other stations soon opened within the sector. The

Border Patrol began to grow, as the situation along the

border was steadily deteriorating. As the prohibition era

reached the peak of its infamy; lawlessness and violence

became more common along the water borders of the Detroit

Sector. Several Detroit Sector Patrol Inspectors were killed

in the line of duty during this period, as smugglers

attempting to bring contraband across the border resorted to

violence to protect their cargo from the Border Patrol

Inspectors.

Eighty-five years later, the Border Patrol has evolved into

the finest law enforcement organization in the world. On a

daily basis, the Border Patrol is confronted with a large

number of threats that would never have been conceived of at

the time of the agency's inception. Criminal organizations

have evolved as well, adopting a wide variety of weapons and

technology to aid them in their efforts to enter the United

States while smuggling human cargo and other contraband.

Since 9-11, the agency has had to adapt yet again, to our

nations newest threat; terrorism. The U.S. Border Patrol has

proven over its long history that its men and women are up to

the task ahead, and stand ready at our nation's borders.

The U.S. Border Patrol will be hosting several events for

the 85th Anniversary, including a Headquarters celebration

honoring all of the men and women, past and present, who have

made the Border Patrol what it is today.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I continue to reserve.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

First, I want to thank my friend and chairman of the subcommittee, Ms. Sanchez, who's been an excellent leader of our subcommittee and we work together closely on many things, not just noncontroversial bills like today. I thank Mr. Teague for his leadership and my long-time friend, Mr. Reyes, also the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, not only for his work in Congress but his work with the Border Patrol.

And again and most personally, today I want to thank every agent, every Border Patrol agent in America for helping protect us, as well as Chief David Aguilar for his leadership and further service. It sometimes gets a tad boring, sometimes it gets a little hot. On the Canadian border, sometimes it gets a little cold. It isn't exactly the most exciting job in America at all times, but what each of these agents does is extremely important to the safety of our Nation.

It may not be quite politically correct right now to talk about terrorism, but in fact it is a key part of our first line of defense in the border, and the Border Patrol is a key part of that. And we haven't had a terrorist attack on our soil since 9/11, partly because of our men and women in green.

It may not be quite politically correct right now to talk about stopping illegal immigration; but quite frankly, the safety of our Nation, the integrity of American citizenship requires legal, orderly entry. This isn't to say how many there should be, what type of immigration law we should have, but requires an orderly, legal process. So do many American jobs require this.

And it may not be quite politically correct right now to talk about stopping illegal drugs, but in doing so, the agents of the Border Patrol have made our streets safer, they have helped prevent child and spousal abuse, they have lowered emergency rooms admissions, they have helped people make child support payments by helping them hold their jobs because of illegal narcotics and other things causing them

to lose their jobs or by intercepting them or driving the prices up because of what they intercept.

We're never going to stop all drug abuse. And every Border Patrol agent knows he can't. But what he knows is he can intercept large numbers that would have gone to the streets and the homes of America and would have resulted in huge problems in crime and family safety in America.

So maybe we don't want to call it the war on drugs anymore. Instead we call it a disease, and for those who get addicted, it is a disease. But in fact unlike doctors and nurses who fight cancer, or researchers who fight cancer or people who fight lupus or diabetes, the Border Patrol agents are getting shot at and they die.

So whether we want to call it a war or whatever we want to call it, the individuals who use these illegal narcotics do not wake up one morning and suddenly discover that a heroin needle got put in their arm or that somehow they were snorting crack in their sleep or snorting cocaine in their sleep. In fact, it is somewhat different. And I want to make sure that our men and women of the Border Patrol understand that there is bipartisan support to making sure that we keep our border secure; that we continue to block illegal narcotics; that we continue to block terrorists; and you are our first line of defense on our huge borders, and we cannot thank you enough for risking your lives for the rest of us.

I yield back.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 498) honoring and congratulating the U.S. Border Patrol on its 85th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 498, honoring and congratulating the United States Border Patrol on its 85th anniversary, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

As the chairwoman of the Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee for Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, I have been fortunate enough to visit the border several times to see firsthand the good work of the Border Patrol. I have seen it, not just on the southern border with Mexico, but also that with Canada.

These dedicated men and women patrol America's borders, often in harsh climates, in isolated conditions, under dangerous conditions, in order to keep our Nation secure.

Representatives of Customs and Border Protection, the Border Patrol, and its agents have also testified many, many times before our committee about the challenges they face, particularly the Border Patrol's rapid growth and its evolving mission in recent years.

I don't know if a lot of you remember, but just a few years back, our Border Patrol was only 450 people. Today it numbers almost 19,000, and it's on track to grow to 20,000 agents by the end of next year.

When it was founded, the Border Patrol's sole mission was to prevent persons and contraband from entering our country illegally. But, in particular, in the wake of the attacks of September 11 of 2001, the Border Patrol is also charged, it is our front line, with stopping terrorists and their weapons from entering our country.

In the early days of the Border Patrol, agents patrolled our borders without the benefit of modern technology. But today they have sensors, cameras, in addition to their traditional ``sign-cutting'' or their tracking skills, which they still use in some of the mountainous areas, especially out there in the Arizona and California desert. And through all these changes, the Border Patrol and its agents have maintained a steadfast commitment to serving our Nation.

I commend the Border Patrol and all the agents who have served honorably under the Patrol's proud 85-year history. It is certainly fitting that the House of Representatives is marking this anniversary today with this resolution.

And finally, Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Mr. Teague, the gentleman from New Mexico, for offering this fine resolution, and I urge all of my colleagues to give it their support.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 3 minutes to my good friend, Mr. Silvestre Reyes from the great State of Texas who, by the way, has probably over 30 years of experience in the Border Patrol Agency.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman 30 more seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman who authored this particular resolution, the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Teague).

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

I thank the gentleman from Indiana, my ranking member on the subcommittee that oversees all of the border issues for America. He's been a strong advocate for the Border Patrol as well as for all of the agencies, really, that sit within our jurisdiction. And so I thank him for taking the time tonight to be down here and helping to work on this bill.

You know, the Border Patrol just doesn't work at the southern and the northern border. As was mentioned, we'll see them in Puerto Rico and some other areas, and also we send them to other countries to train people as to the whole issue of border patrol and how to take a look at what's coming in. In fact, in Iraq we've sent several to help to set up some of the border patrol issues out there in that country.

So we have a large group of men and women who come to work every single day, love America, and work very hard on behalf of the American people. And for this reason, Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support House Resolution 498, honoring and congratulating the Border Patrol on its 85th anniversary, and I urge the rest of my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for yielding me time, and I also want to thank you for your support of the men and women of the United States Border Patrol and the important work that you

do through your chairmanship and the subcommittee that deals with border issues.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 498, a bill that honors and congratulates the United States Border Patrol on its 85th anniversary. And I also want to thank my good friend and neighbor, Harry Teague from New Mexico, the gentleman that has sponsored this legislation, for his support of the United States Border Patrol men and women. And the ranking member as well, thank you for your support. I think that the men and women of the United States Border Patrol do incredible work.

The United States Border Patrol has a unique and rich history that began on May 28, 1924, when Congress passed the Labor Appropriations Act which officially established the U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso, Texas, and Detroit, Michigan. Established during the height of Prohibition in the United States, the initial 450 patrol inspectors were not only charged with preventing the entry of undocumented immigrants into the United States but were also responsible for combating the entry of illicit liquor from Mexico and from Canada.

Eighty-five years later, the Border Patrol has evolved to include almost 19,000 agents in 20 sectors and 164 stations around our country. The brave men and women of the Border Patrol are currently responsible for securing 8,000 miles of our international borders, both with Mexico and Canada and the coastal water around Florida and Puerto Rico. Since 9/11, the Border Patrol has been on the front lines in our national strategy to detect and apprehend terrorists and their weapons as they attempt to illegally enter the United States.

Before coming to Congress, I served for 26\1/2\ years in the U.S. Border Patrol. For half of that time, I was a Border Patrol sector chief, first in McAllen, Texas, and then in El Paso, Texas. As the only Member of Congress with a background in border enforcement, I am keenly aware of the invaluable work that these brave men and women perform for our country each and every day. We have a lot to thank them for.

In these times of heightened security, the U.S. Border Patrol and those agents are not only vital in helping to protect our country from terror threats and illegal entry of drugs but they also apprehend and deter human smugglers and bring them to justice. Oftentimes these agents are the first people to respond in humanitarian situations in the desert by providing first aid, food, water, and shelter to people that have gotten in trouble because of the heat and the distance that they're forced to travel in remote areas. Border Patrol agents perform countless rescues every year and provide critical training to law enforcement, both at home and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Border Patrol is vital to our Homeland Security strategy and has evolved into one of our country's finest law enforcement organizations. I'm a proud cosponsor of Mr. Teague's resolution in honor of their 85th anniversary. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I thank the men and women of the United States Border Patrol for working each and every day to keep us safe.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 498. Last week was the 85th anniversary of the United States Border Patrol. In 1924, Congress approved the Immigration Act, which established the U.S. Border Patrol.

Their long and illustrious history began with 25 Patrol Inspectors in El Paso, Texas and Detroit Michigan with the mission of combating the illegal entry of aliens, contraband, and the flow of illicit liquor from Mexico and Canada into the U.S.

During the height of prohibition, lawlessness and violence became more common along the water borders of the Detroit Sector. Several Detroit Sector Patrol Inspectors were killed in the line of duty, as smugglers attempting to bring contraband across the border resorted to violence to protect their cargo from the Border Patrol Inspectors.

A lot has changed since 1924, but the core mission of the Border Patrol is still detecting and preventing the illegal entry of aliens and preventing the smuggling of contraband. Since the terrorist attacks of 9-11, the focus of the Border Patrol has changed to include detection, apprehension and deterrence of terrorists and terrorist weapons.

America has given this vital task to a group of dedicated law- enforcement agents, who are our eyes and ears, in the air, land and sea. They work in a variety of climates, and seize a great deal of the drugs intended for our streets and our children.

Coming from a border district, I have a real interest in ensuring that the Border Patrol is equipped with the right mix of personnel, technology, and equipment that will enhance our ability to separate legitimate travel and trade, from those that seek to do us harm or enter our nation illegally.

The Detroit Sector of the Border Patrol is responsible for 863 miles of our liquid border with Canada, and in the last five years, Agents have made nearly 5,000 arrests--an impressive accomplishment.

Chief Patrol Agent Randy Gallegos, and the men and women of Sector Detroit are dedicated professionals, who defend the border and our nation owes them and the entire U.S. Border Patrol a debt of gratitude for their distinguished service to our nation.

They follow the proud tradition of securing our border that began eighty-five years ago in small stations, with only a handful of agents. Today, there are over 18,000 men and women who wear the green uniform of a Border Patrol Agent.

Without these brave Americans our nation would be less secure, and for that I want to offer my sincerest thanks. Our Border Patrol agents epitomize the motto of the Border Patrol--Honor First.

Congratulations on your first eight-five years!

I urge my colleagues to support passage of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 498, a resolution honoring and congratulating the U.S. Border Patrol on its 85th anniversary. This bill shows our support for the men and women who have served and are currently serving in our Nation's Border Patrol, and I encourage my colleagues to vote with me in support of this resolution.

The Border Patrol has undergone incredible changes over the past 85 years. They have grown from an initial force of 450 to over 18,800 agents today. They have learned to deal with new threats such as terrorists and weapons of mass destruction. And they have adapted ground-breaking technologies--such as infrared cameras and unattended underground sensors--to better face the challenges confronting them.

But despite these changes, their primary mission has stayed the same: to detect and prevent illegal entry of persons into the United States. As we all know, doing this is no easy task. They must patrol over 8,000 miles of international borders with Mexico and Canada and the coastal waters around Florida and Puerto Rico. They are our first line of defense against many threats, including terrorists, illicit drugs, weapons, and criminals; and they perform admirably at these tasks.

Since 1998, the Border Patrol has seized more than 15 million pounds of marijuana and 189,000 pounds of cocaine. Most importantly, border agents have very dangerous jobs. They risk their well-being every day on our behalf. In 85 years, 104 Border Patrol officers have lost their lives in the line of duty. In my district, the Border Patrol has an especially active presence, the El Paso Border Patrol sector, which covers all of New Mexico, covers 262 miles of border and employs over 2,600 agents. In fiscal year 2008 alone, they made over 30,000 apprehensions and seized over 87,000 pounds of marijuana.

Also in my district, in the town of Artesia, we have the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center at this facility which covers over 220 acres of space.

The Border Patrol agents, along with the other Federal agents, get the training they need to better perform their duties and adapt to the new challenges facing them.

In closing, the functions of the Border Patrol are more important today than ever. We have given them an incredibly difficult task and the brave men and women of the Border Patrol deserve the full support of Congress in achieving their goals.

I would like to thank Congresswoman Sanchez, Chairman Reyes, Chairman Thompson, Congressman McCaul, and Majority Leader Hoyer for their leadership in helping bring this resolution to the floor.

Again, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution.