Ranking Member Henry Cuellar Statement at the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request Hearing for U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's hearing on the fiscal year 2025 budget request for U.S.Customs and Border Protection:

Thank you, Chairman Amodei.

Good morning, Commissioner Miller. It's nice to see you again and thank you for being here.

You are the head of one of the most dynamic agencies in the Federal Government, and I'm sure most days it feels like a thankless job.

Each day, you and your workforce are called upon to address new and increasingly challenging issues – ranging from enforcement of complex trade laws and policies to processing an ever-increasing number of people and amount of cargo through our ports of entry to, of course, securing our borders and supporting our immigration enforcement system.

You do this with often outdated laws and inadequate resources.

So, Commissioner Miller, because you and your workforce don't hear it enough, thank you. Thank you for all that you do – every single day.

I said this last time, but it's worth repeating. You started your federal career in 1993 with the U.S. Customs Service as a Customs Inspector to now heading the agency, you bring years of experience, trust, and integrity to this role, and, I would add, despite the pressures you face every day, you demonstrate exceptional professionalism and leadership in your role.

While we are likely to have some tough dialogue here today, as we always do when it comes to border security, I note that you have taken this position as a career official. You are not serving in a political capacity. So, we appreciate your service and all that you've done and continue to do for our country.

As you know, Homeland Security is a top priority for me. I don't just visit the border, I live there. My family is there. It is a place I call home.

When we talk about the border, we often focus solely on security. There's no doubt that is important – but we often forget about how important the border is to our economy and our livelihoods. For example, in 2023, the Port of Laredo was the number 1 port in the nation among more than 450 airports, seaports, and border crossings with $320 billion in total world trade. This included over 2.9 million northbound crossings and over 2.9 million southbound crossings and averaging about 8 thousand crossings each direction every day.

Trying to find that balance between security and trade and tourism is important – especially to our border communities.

In terms of addressing the increase in irregular migration to the border, your budget request for fiscal year 2025, similar to your request for 2024, relies heavily on the concept of a $4.7 billion southwest border contingency fund. You've no doubt heard concerns about this being a request for a "blank check" and while Congress could always implement any additional controls it wanted if there was support for this concept, it's not likely this fund will get any more support now than it did last year.

We will need your help again to understand what CBP really needs for its border operations. One of the most expensive requirements for CBP in 2024 is the use of soft-sided facilities. I'd like to talk with you a bit about how we can drive those costs down while not losing necessary processing capacity. I had hoped we'd be further along in standing up Joint Processing Centers, and that continues to be a priority for me. In the meantime, though, I know there's a lot of interest in helping CBP meet its processing capacity needs, so let's work together to ensure we can provide meaningful competitive opportunities in our procurement processes.

Hiring at CBP continues to be a challenge, especially for Border Patrol Agents. The 2024 bill provides almost $500 million to help CBP achieve a total of 22,000 agents, but I know that you will not likely be able to reach that goal – and not for lack of trying. We've had some opportunities to discuss where your challenges are and how Congress might be able to help.

But CBP will also have a major issue with its CBP Officer workforce if actions aren't taken now. The challenge with CBP Officers is the anticipated wave of retirements that will leave major gaps in our capacity if we aren't planning for that now. I hope to hear more from you about your plans for addressing that.

I'm also very interested to hear from you today about CBP's current efforts to combat the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.

There's much more to talk about than we will have time for, so let me just say in conclusion, Commissioner Miller, I know there is a lot of work to do, and I stand ready to do what I can to help you be successful.

Thank you again for being here today and I look forward to your testimony and answers to our questions.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back.