Pay Reform Bill Will Save Taxpayers Millions and Put More Boots On The Ground
The National Border Patrol Council, the union for Border Patrol Agents, is urging Congress to pass a crucial amendment to H.R. 5230 that will increase border security.
Council President, Brandon Judd says, “At this time of critical need, we are not fully staffed at the border. Currently, federal restrictions prevent us from doing the job we are trained to do. We must be able to use the resources we have to fulfill our mission of protecting the borders. The Pay Reform legislation introduced by Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana), Senator John McCain (R-Arizona), and Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) gives us the ability to get our full complement of agents in the field.”
“Under H.R. 5230, Congress would spend $35 million of taxpayers’ money to send 1000 National Guard troops to the border. According to CBO, Our proposal would save $100 million annually and put more trained Border Patrol Agents on the ground.”
Judd says, “While the offer of National Guard assistance is appreciated, it will not be effective in the long-term. National Guard troops are not trained for this mission, and they have no federal authority to arrest individuals. These precious dollars would be better spent fully staffing our border with our own trained agents. The solution is to pass legislation sponsored by Senator Tester and Representative Chaffetz, that would maximize our resources and more fully protect our border, while saving the taxpayer millions of dollars.”
“This common sense legislation will allow agents to report for duty on a full 10 hour shift. The additional hours in the field equates to putting 1200 more agents where they’re needed to handle the current crisis and manage future threats to our border’s security.”
The Council says Border Patrol Agents are seeing drug cartels and human traffickers using women and children to distract agents and tie up resources while they smuggle drugs and people across the border. When this strategy is no longer viable, the traffickers will develop new ones. The only real deterrent is having the manpower to meet challenges as they arise.
Council President Brandon Judd says, “This is not rocket science. When crime increases in our communities, we respond by putting more law enforcement officers on the streets. Right now we have trained, highly skilled agents who cannot be deployed in the field due to across-the-board federal agency cuts. The Pay Reform Bill enables us to fully deploy our agents, step up efforts to stop the smuggling of dangerous drugs and exploitation of people and to save taxpayers’ money. Congress needs to act urgently and pass this legislation so we can do our jobs.”
Why Pay Reform Makes Sense
- •Under the current pay structure agents can only work an nine hour shift. Today’s agents must be able to work 10-hour field days to provide better enforcement.
- •The impact of this reform will be more coverage at the border, at reduced cost.
- •This is a better strategy than using the National Guard – Border Patrol Agents are trained for the task and have the authority to enforce our immigration laws.
- •The National Guard is a stop-gap tactic while Pay Reform is a long-term solution.
- •CBP scored the annual savingsto the taxpayersat $100 million.
- •Pay reform provides income stability for agents, which keeps agents on the force.
About the Border Patrol
For ninety years, the Border Patrol has been our nation’s first line of defense. Created in 1924, the Border Patrol is responsible for securing and patrolling 6,000 miles of international boundaries between Mexico and Canada and 2,000 miles of coastal waters surrounding Florida and Puerto Rico. To accomplish its mission, the Border Patrol relies on a force of more than 21,000 agents. These agents last year made over 300,000 arrests and seized hundreds of millions of dollars worth of illicit drugs. Since the agency’s inception, 120 Border Patrol agents have been killed in the line of duty.
These highly trained agents are already working hard to protect our border. The Pay Reform Bill gives them the manpower they need to ensure we have full coverage. They are trained to treat all men, women and children arriving at our border with dignity and respect. While the Border Patrol does not make the laws, it’s their job to enforce them.
For more information please contact Shawn Moran, Vice President at (855) 278-6466 ext. 806
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