Brian Higgins

Combating these terror financing operations must be among our top priorities as doing so is a key component to our efforts to counter these groups globally.

Violent extremists in Southeast Asia are not a new phenomenon. For decades, Separatist movements have committed bombings, kidnappings, and assassinations in the region.

Hearings like these allow us to stay engaged in the fight against terrorism and gauge the dangers terrorist organizations pose in regions throughout the world.

Yet, from what I am reading, there doesn't seem to be any U.S. financial commitment to the building of this critical international border.

I was greatly encouraged by the announcement made last month by President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau regarding the program.

The only way that you build in reliability and predictability is to build in capacity.

I am amazed when I read this story about the new international bridge being constructed between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, and the fact that the entire project is being financed by the Canadian Government.

That is a problem in terms of morale--morale and just the importance of that relative to recruitment of Officers.

If there is a sense that there are delays there because of lack of infrastructure, because of poor staffing strategies, people adjust their economic behavior to avoid the cross-border movement.

But this project has been delayed substantially because of lack of interest, lack of will, on the part of the U.S. Government to contribute.

Unfortunately, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Field Operations continues to be understaffed at ports of entry based on the agency's own staffing model.

This is not a challenge. This is a crisis.

I want to thank the Chair, and I am pleased to serve as Ranking Member today, particularly given the topic at hand, staffing and infrastructure at America's ports of entry.

Cross-border travel, the efficient flow of goods and people across the border, and the security of our ports of entry are vital to the communities I am privileged to represent.

Congress has 2 responsibilities here: One is budgetary and the other is oversight.

The Honorable Brian Higgins, a Representative in Congress From the State of New York:

Cross-border travel and the efficient flow of goods and people across the border are vital to the communities I am privileged to represent.

I will focus my comments today on our Northern Border, since our border with Canada is often somewhat forgotten in these discussions.

There was a hearing earlier today in Foreign Affairs where it was disclosed that in the past year ISIS has had their footprint reduced in both Iraq and Syria.

We must ensure our friends and allies halt government-sponsored ransom payments. Doing so will lead to fewer kidnappings while also depriving terrorists of a major revenue source.

Kidnapping for ransom, antiquity smuggling and private donations represent an alarming and largely under appreciated source of terrorist financing that has largely gone unaddressed.

I hope we can have a robust discussion of the existence of these programs as we seek to understand whether post-prison countering violent extremist reentry programs may be helpful in reducing recidivism and decreasing the allure of…

I believe it is important to distinguish the terms 'radicalization' and 'terrorism.'

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you for holding this, today's hearing, to explore the detention and monitoring of radical ideology in prisons.

I believe it is important to distinguish between the terms radicalization and terrorism.