Barbara Boxer: “I rise in support of the Boxer-Landrieu- Murray amendment numbered 1240 which is a very simple amendment. It has…”

“I rise in support of the Boxer-Landrieu- Murray amendment numbered 1240 which is a very simple amendment. It has bipartisan support as well. It would require the participation of the National Guard and the Coast Guard in new Border Protection training programs. The underlying bill includes language authorizing specialized training for Federal law enforcement agents who have been tasked with securing the border to update them on how the law will impact their duties and their responsibilities. The bill specifically requires Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, ICE officers, and agriculture specialists at the border to undergo training on such things as identification and detection of fraudulent travel documents, civil rights protections, border community concerns, environmental concerns, and how agents should handle vulnerable populations such as children, victims of crime, and human trafficking. But the bill leaves out two very important groups of Federal officials who will be key to further securing our lands and sea borders. They leave out the National Guard and the Coast Guard. The bill provides new authorizations for the National Guard to assist Customs and Border Protection agents with border enforcement duties. In the case of the Coast Guard, the bill continues their large role with maritime border security. But the new training language excludes both the National Guard and the Coast Guard.…”