CBP Officials Talk Border Security, Sequestration at Senate Hearing
Increased flexibility to implement sequester-induced cuts would allow CBP to more-effectively manage the agency, CBP officials told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at an April 10 hearing. The hearing dealt with the agency’s progress and plans for border security, with many Senators questioning the usefulness and scope of metrics CBP was using to determine whether U.S. borders are secure. Committee Ranking Member Tom Coburn, R-Okla., posed the question about sequestration: “You actually could be more effective under this sequester, if we gave you the flexibility to manage your operations [like those in the private sector]?” All the officials answered yes.
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In submitted testimony, National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley said sequestration is worsening the “severe problem of inadequate staffing” at CBP, and potential cuts to overtime will add to the agency’s woes. “Overtime is an essential function when staffing levels are insufficient -- as they have been in CBP for some time -- to ensure that inspectional duties can be accomplished; that CBP Officers have sufficient back-up; and that passenger and commercial traffic wait times are mitigated.” (see 13040822 for more on CBP’s budget plans under sequester thus far).
The hearing focused mainly on what CBP and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency were doing to stem illegal border crossings, be it humans or goods. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., also asked about the CBP’s efforts to combat trade fraud, including transshipment and false country-of-origin labeling.
Kevin McAleenan, Acting Deputy Commissioner at CBP, said the agency has made “significant success” in partnering with ICE to stem trade fraud. Based off CBP’s compliance measurements, which look for violations across a random sample of shipments, “We know … we’re well over 95 percent compliance across all trade,” McAleenan said. Michael Fisher, chief of Border Patrol at CBP, agreed. For the last fiscal year, the agency “dedicated more resources and spent more time on commercial fraud than anytime we did on my 26-year career,” he said.