Pappas Leads Bipartisan Call for Inclusion of Supplemental Border Funding in Upcoming Appropriations
Lawmakers urged leadership to ensure funding be made available for Northern border to better support ongoing fentanyl interdiction efforts
As the House of Representatives continues to negotiate appropriations funding for the upcoming fiscal year, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) led his colleagues, Representatives Ryan Zinke (MT-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Pete Stauber (MN-08), and Annie Kuster (NH-02) in calling on House leadership to advance a supplemental appropriations package that expands fentanyl interdiction capacity and improves border security across the country, including along our northern border.
The Swanton Sector, which includes New Hampshire’s northern border, saw an 846 percent increase in apprehensions from October 2022 through January 2023. Pappas and his colleagues advocated for increased funding flexibility to improve capacity across all border sectors, bolster interdiction capabilities nationwide, and head off future weak points in our national drug interdiction efforts.
“As you consider supplemental appropriations, we urge you to advance a package that expands fentanyl interdiction capacity and improves border security across the country, including along our northern border,” wrote the lawmakers.
They continued on to say, “While we strongly support emergency funding to address the fentanyl trafficking along the southwest border, we believe Congress should provide necessary flexibility and allow these funds to be used at all our nation’s borders, not just the southwest border… By providing increased funding flexibility, we can invest in the areas of greatest need and strengthen our capabilities across all border sectors, building greater interdiction capabilities nationwide and helping head off future weak points in our drug interdiction efforts.”
Read the full letter here and below:
Dear Speaker McCarthy and Leader Jeffries,
As you consider supplemental appropriations, we urge you to advance a package that expands fentanyl interdiction capacity and improves border security across the country, including along our northern border. While we strongly support emergency funding to address the fentanyl trafficking along the southwest border, we believe Congress should provide necessary flexibility and allow these funds to be used at all our nation’s borders, not just the southwest border.
Border activity has steadily increased across the entire U.S.-Canada border. While U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel have worked diligently in partnership with local law enforcement officials to enforce our immigration laws and stem illicit drug trafficking, the ongoing increase in apprehensions and encounters along our northern border make clear the need for additional resources.
By providing increased funding flexibility, we can invest in the areas of greatest need and strengthen our capabilities across all border sectors, building greater interdiction capabilities nationwide and helping head off future weak points in our drug interdiction efforts. We further urge you to provide similar flexibility to support investments in border security, personnel, and anti-smuggling technology along our northern border. Providing much-needed funding to increase CBP’s capacity along the northern border will benefit all Americans by enhancing our ability to interdict fentanyl and other illicit substances. Additional funding will also protect the well-being of local residents while promoting a safe and humane immigration process.
We ask that you work in a bipartisan manner to advance a supplemental appropriations package that adequately addresses border security needs at both our northern and southwest borders, including by providing for expanded fentanyl interdiction capacity and immigration enforcement capabilities along all our land borders. We thank you for your consideration of this request.