Maine Highlands News

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02), Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23), Congressman Pat Ryan (NY-19), and Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) yesterday introduced the DHS Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act of 2023. The bipartisan bill would help address Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel shortages in rural areas. Absent a meaningful strategy and progress by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to hire and retain more border patrol agents, immigrations and customs enforcement officials, and other border security officers, DHS will likely need to reallocate personnel from other areas in order to address potential migration surges on the Southern Border in the coming months.  

Congressmen Golden, Gonzales, Ryan, and Pfluger’s bill would mandate that CBP issue and implement a strategy plan to improve hiring and improve retention for CBP officers and Border Patrol agents specifically in rural or remote areas.

“I’ve spoken with border officials across Maine and a concern they’ve consistently shared is that our immigration agencies in rural areas are too short staffed to do their jobs properly,” said Congressman Golden. “Improving recruitment and retention of CBP personnel will ensure that there is the necessary manpower to keep thousands of miles of our border in rural areas secure in the face of illegal drug smuggling and other threats to the health and safety of our communities. I’m glad to work with Rep. Gonzales, Rep. Ryan, and Rep. Pfluger this Congress to get this important bill passed.”

“I am proud to work with my colleagues to help support U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in rural areas,” said Congressman Gonzales. “We are seeing historic levels of human- and illicit drug-smuggling across our borders, and our men and women in green are stretched far too thin. My district covers four sectors of the southern border, of which, three are extremely rural and remote. Agents in these areas have strenuous workloads, and their families have a diminished quality of life. We must ensure our borders are sufficiently staffed to ensure our national security.”

“Fentanyl is taking too many lives and destroying too many families in the Hudson Valley – we need to act now to strengthen our nation’s response to illicit drug shipments,” said Congressman Ryan. “I’m proud to introduce this crucial legislation that will address this problem directly by working on a national strategy to keep our communities safe. I look forward to working with Representatives Golden and Gonzales to get this common-sense legislation signed into law.”

“U.S. Border Patrol Agents are heroes on the front lines of the border crisis,” said Congressman Pfluger. “They deserve our respect and additional resources. I’m proud to join a bipartisan group of lawmakers introducing common-sense legislation to hire and retain more border patrol personnel in rural areas.”

“I greatly appreciate the Congressmen for their leadership on this issue.  The most important element in securing our border is Border Patrol Agents.  Currently we need to hire an additional 3,300 Agents and this legislation which will require DHS to have a strategy to hire and retain CBP personnel in rural areas.” - Hector Garza, National Vice President and Legislative Chair, National Border Patrol Council

“NTEU Chapter 141, representing Customs and Border Protection employees at ports of entry in Maine, New Hampshire and Halifax, Canada, strongly supports the CBP Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act of 2023, introduced by Rep. Jared Golden. In conversations with Rep. Golden, members and leaders of Chapter 141 have explained the difficulties in recruiting and retaining CBP employees at remote ports, and we appreciate his willingness to hear directly from frontline employees who have first-hand knowledge of the problem. Here in Maine, many of our ports lose quality candidates to Boston or other port cities, where federal employees earn more through locality pay. NTEU looks forward to working with Rep. Golden to pass this legislation and develop a strategy for making CBP’s Office of Field Operations a more attractive employer in remote but essential port locations. ” - Doug Stubbs, President, NTEU Chapter 141

“NTEU commends Rep. Jared Golden for introducing the DHS Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act of 2023. This is a solid approach to a problem that is plaguing rural and remote ports of entry staffed by Customs and Border Protection employees that we represent. Rep. Golden clearly understands the difficulty of recruiting and retaining employees at ports that may be hundreds of miles from a city, hospital, affordable housing, higher education, or other amenities that are important to CBP employees and their families. Our nation’s 328 air, sea and land ports are understaffed and NTEU supports efforts to make CBP more competitive in the job market, including higher pay, retention bonuses and other benefits.” - Troy Reardon, President, National Treasury Employees Union

Golden has been at the forefront of the fight to keep our border secure and the immigration process safe for all those involved. Last year, he introduced a bipartisan bill that would prevent President Biden from lifting existing Title 42 immigration restrictions without a plan in place from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address the expected surge of migrants at the Southern border. 

In March of last year, Golden voted to substantially increase funding for local law enforcement and border patrol officers as part of the omnibus government funding bill. The bill was passed by the House and signed into law by the president at the end of the month. In 2021, Golden voted to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which included significant funding for border stations across the country, including five land ports of entry in Maine’s Second District. 

The full bill text can be found here. 

The legislation was also introduced in 2022.

Original source can be found here