I think it is very, very important that border security happen and I understand that the debate about comprehensive immigration reform--I am one that believes in border security first.

what a secure border looks like, how we get there and how to accurately measure progress and results.

For decades we have thrown money at the problem as the Senate did recently without a plan.

This bill is about accountability and real results because the Department of Homeland Security's border components must be held to account for success, or failure, progress or not.

We need to reduce the flow of people coming into this country illegally and those include those who sneak across the border.

Here in the House Homeland Security Committee, we have taken a radically different approach that addresses security based on results and certifiable metrics.

This is demonstrated by the recent spike inflow to my home State of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley resulting from increased security measures in other parts of the border.

Spending billions of dollars on border security without a way to assess progress is really what we have done for the last 20 years.

The American people overwhelmingly agree that we need to secure the border.

Our Nation is in the middle of a very robust debate on the best path to reform as we try to reform our broken immigration system.

I do think that additional resources certainly will be needed to achieve situational awareness, operational control of the border.

The Border Security Results Act takes a page from the private sector and demands a strategy before we okay a project or its budget.

a strategy and an implementation plan to be produced before additional resources are expended.

I certainly thank all the witnesses. You can see by the level of frustration, some of the questions that we are asking, I am sure you all share that.

Maritime security is not the provenance of the Federal Government alone.

The proposed rule and findings of a recent GAO report, leads to some very simple questions about the threat, risk, and vulnerability at our Nation's ports.

If we can't do this, we might as well pack up and go home, because this is as obvious as it gets.

It would be too bad if the Department of Homeland Security became the stumbling block for comprehensive immigration reform.

I think the immigration reform will be a heavy lift.

I think there is always a moment in time in politics where something can happen, and that moment in time is probably now for comprehensive immigration reform.

I do believe that your Department can be the stumbling block to comprehensive immigration reform.

I think, I feel your Department needs to tell us, as the Congress, what it is you actually need in regards to resourcing.

I do want you to know that we do think about that and we see it and we do thank you so much for your service.

the same question that the American people are going to ask; and that is whether or not we have a high degree of comfort or confidence in whether or not our borders are secured.

We have an opportunity to do comprehensive immigration reform.