Grand Canyon Times

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee approved bipartisan legislation introduced by Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema and Republican Senator James Lankford (Okla.) allowing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to conduct maintenance projects at ports of entry at the Southwest border.

“Arizona’s ports of entry are our first line of defense in stopping dangerous drugs and individuals. We’re allowing CBP leadership to take action to keep Arizona border communities safe and secure without needing to wait on Washington,” said Sinema, Chair of the Senate Border Management Subcommittee.

Sinema’s bipartisan legislation grants the Commissioner of CBP the authority to conduct maintenance projects at ports along the Southwest border in a timely manner – allowing CBP to keep communities safe without waiting for the approval of the General Services Administration.

As Chair of the Subcommittee on Government Oversight and Border Management, Sinema has been laser-focused on bringing colleagues and stakeholders together in search of common sense, lasting solutions that address the ongoing security and humanitarian crisis at the Southwest border.

Sinema recently succeeded in pushing for the increased utilization of Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) along the Southwest border, which is proven to improve CBP’s ability to detect attempts to smuggle narcotics and other contraband through ports of entry and into Arizona communities. In last year’s end of year bills, the Senator also helped secure $230 million for border security technologies, $99.9 million for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities construction and improvements, and $15 billion for CBP operations and support, helping ensure that CBP has the tools it needs to help keep dangerous drugs out of Arizona communities. 

Original source can be found here.