Ted Poe: “I thank the chairman of the full committee. Mr. Chair, this amendment is very similar to amendments that have been on…”

“I thank the chairman of the full committee. Mr. Chair, this amendment is very similar to amendments that have been on this House floor before, presented by me and others, and is similar to an amendment that passed unanimously in the FY 2015 NDAA. It is called the SEND Act. It addresses the process of sending excess military equipment, which is not being used, to our border security folks to help them secure the border. That is the purpose of previous amendments and legislation that started all the way back in 2011. One way that the Department of Defense helps the Border Patrol is through the transfer of equipment that it deems to be in excess to its needs. Under current law, the transfer of this excess equipment gives some preference to counterdrug, counterterrorism, and some border security activities. This amendment simply takes that preference a step further, giving border security preference for a few specific pieces of equipment which are particularly useful for border security applications: unmanned surveillance vehicles, including aerostat blimps that are now being used, night vision goggles, and Humvees. The Border Patrol, as we all know, is the first and last line of defense against criminal gangs that come into the United States.…”