Pete Sessions: “Fencing works. We have a major problem. Last year, our Border Patrol agents apprehended 1.12 million people along our…”

“Fencing works. We have a major problem. Last year, our Border Patrol agents apprehended 1.12 million people along our border coming into our country unlawfully. Can you imagine that? Where we did build fencing along the San Diego border--only 14 miles, but it was one of the worst areas--that area was tremendously improved. Crime went down, drug dealing went down, violence went down, illegal immigration plummeted and property values went up. But we have 1,800 miles along the border. This bill would not provide funding and authorization but for fencing about one-third of that distance. Chairman Royce--he is from California--who chairs the International Terrorism and Nonproliferation Subcommittee talked about the difficulties they have had with a breach, a gap in the border fencing. He said this: It is called ``smugglers' gulch,'' a fence that runs from the foothills to the ocean through that small 3-mile breach. It has taken 8 rac{1}{2} ext{ years to get the California Coastal Commission to go along with closing that fence in consultation--8 rac{1}{2} ext{ years to get it done. He talked about the problem of that gap. And he talked about the field hearings he had participated in. He said: We heard from witnesses, and we heard them express that border fencing was very effective.”