Securing America's Borders

Securing America's Borders

U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR) today announced his support of expanding Operation Jump Start by co-sponsoring H.R. 939, a bill to allow regular and reserve members of the armed forces to assist in border security.

Operation Jump Start was announced by President Bush in the summer of 2006. The plan deployed the National Guard to the borders to assist and supplement the Border Patrol in its mission to stop the efforts of numerous drug and human smugglers which present a threat to the security of the homeland.

"Operation Jump Start continues to demonstrate the positive impact the presence of support troops can have on securing our borders." Boozman said. "Today there are members of the Arkansas National Guard on our border, helping to prevent America from threats of terrorism, drug smuggling and human trafficking. The Guard has shown how it can be done, and we should now expand our efforts to include other members of the armed forces, utilizing their training to make us even more secure."

H.R. 939 is the same legislation which has passed the House in a bipartisan manner the last several years as an amendment to defense authorization bills only to have the Senate remove it each time.

"The thousands of pounds of drug seizures and arrests of hundreds of drug and human smugglers are proof what we are doing on the border is working," Boozman added. "It is my sincere hope both houses of Congress can pass this common-sense bill."

http://www.boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=59157