Absurd! President Obama's proposed budget cuts to Customs and Border Enforcement

Having just returned from a week long, intensive study of the Arizona/Mexico border I am appalled at the prospect of a reduced budget for our border protection.  Men and women of the border patrol and a variety of law enforcement agencies put their lives on the line every day to protect us.  It is our government's responsibility to make certain they have everything they need to do the job.  Drug cartels and human smugglers are very well funded and are just waiting for a reduction in our security to make their move.

The role of Government is to protect. Beyond securing our borders and protecting us from our enemies, the role of the Federal Government should be very small.

And yet, on Wednesday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security held a hearing on President Obama’s proposed budget cuts to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), included in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) budget proposal for Fiscal year 2013.

• $68.2 million decrease in funding for air and marine operations and procurements
• $7.1 million reduction in air and marine staff
• $6 million decrease in border security inspections and trade facilitation between points of entry
• $6.7 million decrease in automation technology modernization
• $72.9 million decrease in border security fencing, infrastructure, and technology

Both Republicans and Democrats on the Subcommittee raised concerns that these proposed reductions could weaken CBP programs and put border security in jeopardy.

Read more at:  http://www.fairus.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=24897&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=1012#4