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| Gabrielle Giffords |
Washington, DC (June 2, 2011) On Tuesday, Congressman Steve Pearce (NM-02) and the office of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08) requested a field hearing on border security concerns from the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security. Pearce and Giffords’ office sent letters to Candice Miller, Chairman of the subcommittee, and Henry Cuellar, the subcommittee’s ranking member, requesting a field hearing on the southern border in Arizona or New Mexico. “The situation at our southern border is perilous,” said Pearce. “Constituents in southern New Mexico live in constant fear of drug smugglers and gangsters crossing onto their land, and putting their lives in jeopardy. Just last year, a prominent rancher near Douglas, Arizona, was murdered on his own land by suspected drug runners. Earlier this year, the mayor and police chief of Columbus, New Mexico, were arrested on suspicion of weapons trafficking. Despite sweeping declarations from Washington, our border, especially in rural areas, is not secure, and it is jeopardizing the safety of our citizens.” Pia Carusone, chief of staff for Giffords, agreed that a Congressional field hearing on this critical public policy issue is warranted.
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| Steve Pearce |
“Congresswoman Giffords has long believed that border security is national security,” she said. “An essential step in strengthening both is for Washington decision-makers to see the border for themselves and hear directly from the people who live and work in our communities. A hearing on the border – not 3,000 miles away on Capitol Hill – will help us achieve these goals.” Pearce and Carusone added that the field hearing would give members of the committee the opportunity to view firsthand the porous conditions of our southern border, and also allow citizens of New Mexico and Arizona to tell their own personal stories.
Giffords & Pearce Request Border Security Hearing
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