Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
Montana’s U.S. Sen. Jon Tester said he is both pleased and disconcerted about a Government Accountability Office report on plans to secure the northern border pleased that it should lead to clear-cut plans on how to make the border secure, but disconcerted on the analysis of current planning, or lack thereof. “It’s like a bowl of Jell-O right now, there is no clear direction ,” Tester said in a telephone interview Wednesday, Nov. 26. “I really don’t think we’re going to get the most bang for the taxpayer buck until they have a plan that says where they want to go.” The GAO Tuesday, Nov, 25, released its report analyzing a February report from the Department of Homeland Security. That report addressed vulnerabilities on the U.S.-Canadian border. The start of the title of the GAO report sums up its findings: “DHS’s Report Could Better Inform Congress ” Both reports, the DHS report and the GAO assessment of that report, were required by legislation sponsored by Tester in 2007, an amendment to the 9/11 Act of 2007. The GAO report found that DHS was “not fully responsive” in its report. While Homeland Security did provide a listing of northern border vulnerabilities and initiatives to address them, it did not include recommendations and additional resources needed, the GAO report said. The GAO report lists several failings in the DHS report, including that while 11 GAO recommendations designed to increase security have been implemented, 39 have not been fully implemented. Other problems listed include a lack of specific suggestions and timelines on increasing technology to better maintain security, on increasing bi-national partnerships and coordinating efforts with state, local and tribal governments, coordinating and better planning work with the U.S. Coast Guard and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and details on the increase in agents planned, which should double the number of agents on the northern border in 2007 by the year 2010. Tester, a member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, said the lack of details creates a problem for Congress in determining whether money is being spent effectively on securing the border. “My challenge is, if we’re spending money, making sure it’s spent properly,” he said. “What this report shows is that there is no plan. “If we’re going to make an analysis on how we’re going to spend this money to secure this border we have to have a plan,” Tester said. Tester said the report could lead to better planning and more oversight over the administration of the plans to make sure the border is secure. He said with the report coming out shortly before the administration of President-elect Barack Obama also a member of the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs taking office, it could lead to more specific planning. “The good news is this is a starting point with the new administration,” Tester said. Tester said he plans to work with the next director of the Department of Homeland Security to increase the security on the northern border. He said a different priority is needed on the northern border than is used on the southern border: it is not an issue of illegal immigration, but one of protecting against terrorism. “I intend to make that a priority in the next session (of Congress,)” he said. He said he intends to make sure Obama’s administration does focus on securing the U. S.-Canadian border, something that should have been done after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. “With the new administration coming in, we’ll hold their feet to the fire, too,” Tester said. “We’re long overdue; this should have been done seven years ago.” Tester said that when he traveled through the state in July with Paul Schneider, deputy secretary of DHS, to review the needs on the northern border, he saw many needs including some areas where the infrastructure was good, but other areas where it was not so good. Tester said he wants some answers from DHS, including exactly how doubling the number of agents on the border will help. While he commended the work Customs and Border Protection agents are doing on the border, without oversight from DHS it is unclear how increasing the number of agents will increase security, he said. “It’s getting the cart way, way ahead of the horse,” Tester said. “We need a plan, not just to say were just going to throw a bunch of folks up there.”
