Currently, U.S. Customs And Border Patrol Has To Go Through The General Services Administration To Make Repairs To Facilities, Causing A Growing Backlog
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined a bipartisan bill to give the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) the authority to repair Ports of Entry along the southern border. These Ports are the legal entrances into the United States and are critical for screening and stopping the flow of illegal drugs and contraband. Currently, CBP has to go through the General Services Administration (GSA) for maintenance projects, which has created a growing backlog of needed repairs.
“While at the southern border, I met with law enforcement officers working to keep our nation safe, and it was clear that the current bureaucratic process is leading to a backlog of much-needed repairs at ports of entry,” said Senator Rosen. “That’s why I’m supporting this commonsense, bipartisan solution that would cut through red tape and give Customs and Border Patrol the ability to conduct and oversee the maintenance and repairs of their own facilities.”
The bipartisan legislation Rosen joined would allow CBP to bypass GSA and perform their own repair and maintenance projects on any Port of Entry where CBP officers conduct inspections to prevent the entry of illicit drugs, agricultural pests, and other contraband, so long as projects cost less than $300,000, annually adjusted for inflation.
Senator Rosen visited the southern border earlier this month and saw firsthand the much-needed reforms that need to be made to restore order and keep our country safe. As a result, she also recently helped introduce legislation to reduce the flow of fentanyl by providing much-needed resources to invest in new screening technology and personnel to secure the border and prevent the entry of illicit drugs into the United States.
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