WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies – visited the U.S.-Mexico Border in Rio Rico, Ariz. for a tour and briefing by U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

“How successful we are in securing our borders has significant consequences in the lives of Americans and Kansans,” said Sen. Moran. “I witnessed first-hand the efforts of our law enforcement to interdict drugs and stop crime at our southern border, and the need for more resources to keep our nation safe. I have long recognized our immigration system is broken, and I look forward to returning to work in Washington with first-hand knowledge of our border crisis. Thank you to all the law enforcement officers who work tirelessly to protect our borders. A special thanks to U.S. Border Patrol Acting Patrol Agent in Charge Agent Kevin Hecht and DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Apolonio “Polo” Ruiz for hosting me at the Arizona-Mexico border.”

Items to Note:

• In Arizona, Sen. Moran toured the U.S.-Mexico border with the U.S. Border Patrol and received an Operations and Drug Threat Briefing from DEA.
• In January, Sens. Moran and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) introduced legislation that would establish a $25 billion trust fund to enhance U.S. border security. The legislation would also codify protections for those individuals who, through no fault of their own, entered the United States illegally as children and are currently covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
• In June, Sen. Moran voted to advance the Senate Appropriations Committee’s $4.6 billion border supplemental package to provide much-needed resources to our southern border.