Push for minimum staffing requirement at Northern Border

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Photo credit Brian Higgins and Chuck Schumer announce the BOUND Act legislation with the Peace Bridge in the background. September 5, 2019 WBEN Photo/Mike Baggerman

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Brian Higgins are planning to introduce legislation that will set a minimum staffing requirement for the northern border.

In May, Customs and Border Production temporarily moved up to 300 officers to the southern border. This, according to Schumer, has had a negative impact on elements such as the economy and security in Western New York and the United States.

"Last month, drivers attempting to cross the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge waited as long as 50 minutes," he said. "The same is true for the Peace Bridge...Weekday time waits at the Peace Bridge went as high as an hour just for the daily commuters. Can you imagine every day waiting to sit there for an hour? Awful."

With the Peace Bridge in the background, @SenSchumer and @RepBrianHiggins announced a push for minimum staffing requirements at the northern border. This comes after up to 300 officers were moved to the southern border.Schumer: “You don’t rob Peter to pay Paul” pic.twitter.com/26dNiO6nJM

— WBEN NewsRadio 930AM (@NewsRadio930) September 5, 2019

Schumer said the crossings generate $400 billion in GDP for the US and Canada.

He and Higgins' bill, called the BOUND Act, or Border Officer Utilization for National Defense, will set the minimum standard that no fewer than the highest number of CBP officers between January 2016 and whenever the bill is enacted is stationed at the northern border. It would prevent CBP from transferring any personnel away from the assignments if it means reducing below the minimum requirement.

The two representatives originally pushed to maintain a minimum staffing level of 3,600 officers. Schumer said he and Higgins passed legislation which required DHS to report to Congress on the number of officers at the northern border and how many they intended to transfer.