I mean, you know, it is not as if that has gone away, of course. It is just we have fewer numbers than we did in the spring time.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.

I want to make sure that they have the resources they need to purchase effective technology and update their infrastructure and attract and retaining talent.

I have introduced legislation to attract veterans, State and local law enforcement, and other Federal law enforcement officers to CBP by allowing the polygraph to be waived for these individuals if they possess the appropriate clearances.

As Members of the Committee on Homeland Security, we understand that border security is essential to our National security.

The lengthy hiring process may be part of the problem as it includes 11 steps and a background investigation, medical exam, and a polygraph examination.

All these tools, in conjunction with appropriate staffing levels, allow CBP to carry out their mission.

We must ensure CBP has the necessary infrastructure, technology, and staffing to effectively manage our ports of entry.

Thank you Chairwoman Torres Small for hosting this field hearing and for working with me to find a suitable time so I could take part in this important discussion on ports of entry.

The question is not whether about supporting environmentalism or supporting cleaner air. The question is about how we do it and what the best way to do that is, and playing to our strengths as Americans.

When we're talking about solutions--and again, I want to get back to this main truth, which is that America is the innovation capital of the world, and ignoring that or destroying that capability by destroying the fossil fuel industry is…