The National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents more than 16,500 Border Patrol agents, calls on Washington politicians to stop playing games with the financial security of agents.
Politicians are quick to declare their support for the Border Patrol, said Brandon Judd, the union’s president. “But don’t just tell us you support agents,” he said. “Now is the time to show us. We demand that Congress fund the Border Patrol regardless of their disagreements with the White House over immigration policy.”
Lawmakers need to protect those who protect our nation, Judd said.
“The last time Congress withheld funding for DHS, some agents were unable to pay their mortgages, and many struggled to make ends meet. Those living inside the beltway felt no pain. Our agents were the ones who did not get paid. It’s unacceptable and unconscionable that we would place this burden on the men and women who risk their lives to serve our nation.”
Judd called on lawmakers and the president to refuse their own pay until this problem is fixed.
“Our elected officials need to step up and make the same sacrifices they are asking our agents to make. If they can ask our agents to go without pay, then they must ask themselves and their staffs to do the same. It’s simple. The decision makers need to put some skin in the game. They should share in the pain they cause.
“Make no mistake,” Judd said. “The partisan divide is hurting agents and their families. We send politicians to Washington to solve problems, but instead we get endless bickering and policy warfare. Congress needs to make sure that the collateral damage doesn’t include agents’ pay.”
