Chuck Schumer: “there are so many places where we have to tighten up our security at home. We have talked about security in the air and…”

“there are so many places where we have to tighten up our security at home. We have talked about security in the air and security at the ports and security on the rails and security with trucks. We have talked about helping our police and our firefighters and hospitals. There is another area that we do have to address even at this late hour because it is so crucial. That is security at our country's borders. The question is, Who can come across our borders, whether by land or sea or by air, and how do we monitor who they are, and how do we make sure terrorists do not come into this country as they did in the years and months before 9/11, where one part of the Government knew that those who came across the borders might well cause harm, but those who were at the borders letting people into this country did not? The good news is that technology can help us. We can keep our borders open and free. We can have commerce that we need and at the same time separate those few bad apples. Technology will allow us to do that. But we are not doing it. Again, we run the risk that our porous borders will serve as an attraction to those who want to be in this country to do evil things, either here or abroad. The amendment I have offered would provide funding necessary to strengthen the eyes and ears and coordination of personnel at our country's borders.”