There are no excuses DHS could give that would justify its mismanagement of the Secure Border Initiative program."
WASHINGTONU.S. Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas the top Republican on the Judiciary Committees Immigration Refugees and Border Security subcommittee today issued the following statement regarding a report released by the Government Accountability Office that states the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has fallen seven years behind its goal of putting in place technology and fences to secure the U.S.-Mexico border under the Secure Border Initiative of 2005.
There are no excuses the Department of Homeland Security could give that would justify its mismanagement of the Secure Border Initiative program. It has been four years since implementation of this program and billions of taxpayer dollars over $3.7 billion to be exact have been expended with nothing truly effective to show for it.
As a result our border still is not secure and the American public has every right to question our ability to make it secure in the future in light of the failures and delays in this initiative.
The green light was given and the resources have been in place - yet the timelines for completion keep slipping. All the while violence along our southern border has intensified and the security of residents in Texas and other border states has been in jeopardy.
The fact that a fully funded initiative to greatly boost border security through a combination of new technology infrastructure and fencing has fallen along the wayside and is now seven years behind schedule is completely unacceptable.
There have been numerous opportunities through congressional hearings and past reports for DHS to come clean about delays and underperformance. I call on Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to implement a process immediately in which the Secure Border Initiative provides regular updates to both houses of Congress and Members representing Southwest border states to prevent future idling on such important issues of national security.
• With more than $3.7 billion in taxpayer money appropriated for the Secure Border Initiative American taxpayers expect higher standards and tangible results from their taxpayer dollars at work.
• DHS should have provided realistic timeframes anticipated technology glitches litigation and potential environmental impacts before touting any potential successes of program. In addition DHS should have anticipated the training needs and familiarity with technology and required long-term maintenance for a successful project.
• Completion of work in Texas sectors on the Secure Border Initiative is likely to be pushed to as late as 2014. This delay does not inspire confidence among the American public on the ability of the federal government to secure our borders if security gaps will still exist.
Sen. Cornyn serves on the Finance Judiciary Agriculture and Budget Committees. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committees Immigration Refugees and Border Security subcommittee.
