Rob Bishop: “Most people are clearly not aware that national security on our borders is compromised on public lands by Federal land…”

“Most people are clearly not aware that national security on our borders is compromised on public lands by Federal land managers who have the authority to deny the Border Patrol access to those Federal lands. Most people are not aware that we put money into this budget thinking it is going for Homeland Security, only to see it mysteriously transferred over to another agency without Congress ever understanding or authorizing where that transfer is or what that transfer may be. It is estimated that we have had direct transfers of at least $9 million, although the numbers are not clear. If you add up what the Department of Homeland Security spends on their own part that is not a direct transfer, we may be in the neighborhood of $50 million that is spent on this particular program. This money can be used for land acquisition. If we really want land acquisition, we put this money in the Interior budget, where it belongs, so we know what it is, we know why it is there, and we can track for what it is used. This becomes simply a secret slush fund from Homeland Security to Interior, and Congress has no idea or clue on how this money we are putting into Homeland Security's budget is being used. Let me give you a specific example. Border Patrol wanted to put surveillance towers on a strategic location on the Arizona border.…”