Henry Cuellar

Our State governments know their own land best. Let us improve how our government functions, empower our States to enforce their own laws on their own lands, and continue this energy growth that we have. With that, I thank the chairman…

Our relationship with them is an economic asset.

The Act required GAO to conduct assessments of the law's implementation, and on June 26th, GAO issued its report.

I would like to follow up on what the ranking member was talking about performance.

Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, I just say this because being from Texas, you have got 1,200 miles to find something there.

You have a hybrid already.

Laredo, I think 38 percent of all the trade between the U.S. and Mexico comes through one land port there in Laredo, so I understand the importance of the work that you do.

I certainly feel that, you know, we've got to make sure that Congress not only appropriates for the men and women in green, which you know, we certainly support, but I think the men and women in blue at the ports of entry are extremely…

Could you submit to us a comprehensive list of any cost saving measures that you might have?

I am a big believer in efficiency and effectiveness and how do you measure results.

85 percent of the cocaine is getting to the United States in your lane?

But you have heard from a lot of Members of Congress how--and media--how important the southern border is.

But on the northern part of the United States, and I know if we had a definitional issue as to whether it was international water, but in the northern part of the United States, you do have a big presence in the northern part. So that is…

Then we asked them about migrants and the smuggling of migrants into the United States, and they said it was a low threat in the region.

But on the analysis, and I am just going to summarize on this, basically when their intelligence did the work on narcotics, they said there is a high threat on the Mexican side, but then on this side they called it a moderate threat of…

The more we can have away from headquarters down as the front line, a lot of us down there at the border would appreciate that.

I would ask you if you could just tell us if you can try to send as many of them.

Some of us have, of course, we want to work with you on that.

No better way to ensure public safety than to enforce the law. It is working beautifully.

I do have to commend you. There is about three or four pages on efficiencies and streamlining operations on your testimony.

Could you ask your staff to give the committee ourselves a detail as to how you intend to save $1.3 billion in savings and efficiencies?

I think we finally got the magic language that GSA has been saying that they need.

We certainly want to work with you on that aspect.

We would ask you to provide that guidance as soon as possible.

We certainly want to work with you on that particular area.