On the recordMay 25, 2011
Madam Chair, I rise in support of my amendment, No. 35, that directs the Department of Defense to make available for border defense the same technology and intelligence gathering practices it is currently using in conducting war overseas. The assault on our southern border today by transnational criminal organizations is a national security threat. They dig tunnels under the border, they fly ultralight crafts, and they try to breach our borders. My amendment brings state-of-the-art military technology to bear on this problem. In fact, also what it does is it looks at the other side of the border to make sure that the Department of Defense evaluates and briefs Congress on our efforts to build Mexico's capacity to combat these organizations. This dual-pronged approach brings our military technological advantage to bear on this southern threat and measures how we are building the Mexican capacity that will put additional constraints on these criminal organizations. Again, this will be a true way to make sure that we face the threat that we face on our border. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. McKEON. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
