SUBTERRANEAN BORDER DEFENSE ACT

On 2025-03-10, Representative Elijah Crane (R-AZ-2) delivered a floor speech titled "SUBTERRANEAN BORDER DEFENSE ACT" in the House. The speech addressed immigration and also covered the environment, foreign policy. It referenced legislation: HR495.

SUBTERRANEAN BORDER DEFENSE ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 44 (Monday, March 10, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 44 (Monday, March 10, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1045-H1046] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SUBTERRANEAN BORDER DEFENSE ACT Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 495) to require annual reports on counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: [[Page H1046]] H.R. 495 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Subterranean Border Defense Act''. SEC. 2. ANNUAL REPORTS ON COUNTER ILLICIT CROSS-BORDER TUNNEL OPERATIONS. Paragraph (2) of section 7134(a) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263; 6 U.S.C. 257 note) is amended by inserting ``and annually thereafter'' after ``development of the strategic plan''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Green) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee. General Leave Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 495. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Tennessee? There was no objection. Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 495, the Subterranean Border Defense Act. The collective failure of the last administration and its refusal to secure our borders allowed transnational criminal organizations to go unchecked in their efforts to infiltrate the United States. Illicit tunnel pathways into our country have only made it easier for criminals to bring their illegal businesses into the homeland, from human trafficking to drug smuggling deadly fentanyl and other drugs that are being funneled from nations afar, including Communist China. Fortunately, President Trump, border czar Homan, and Secretary Noem have arrived to set the situation right. H.R. 495 will require DHS to provide annual reports on its efforts to counter illicit tunnel operations at our borders. I commend the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Crane) for his leadership on this effort, and I urge strong support for the measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in strong support of H.R. 495 because we need more oversight and information on the threat of tunnels going under our border. It is a fact that tunnels, clandestine tunnels, under our borders have been an issue for not years but decades, and it is time we take action. It is time that Congress be informed of our progress to prevent such tunnels from happening. That is why I support H.R. 495. Tunnels are used by transnational criminal organizations looking to make a profit at the expense of our taxpayers. Over the last 30 years, cartels have created illegal and sophisticated tunnels under our border walls to smuggle drugs into our country, as well as money and weapons out of our country. This bill creates an annual reporting requirement to keep Congress informed on the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to counter illicit cross-border tunnels and hold the bad actors accountable. This information will help us, Congress, address the issue at the border and let us, as Members of Congress, better respond to the challenges. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Crane), the author of this bill. Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of my bill, the Subterranean Border Defense Act, a bipartisan piece of border security legislation that I have introduced alongside the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa). Effective border security is created by overlapping deterrents, something we always need at our borders. The Subterranean Border Defense Act would help us address the growing threat of illicit cross- border tunnels by requiring annual reports to Congress on counter- tunneling operations, fortifying our security system at the border. Put simply, this would help ensure that Congress has the necessary data to forge another much-needed layer of defense. As transnational criminal organizations continue to grow in both size and sophistication, illicit cross-border tunnels along the southwest border of the United States represent a significant and growing threat to national security. Congress must address this deadly threat and ensure U.S. Customs and Border Protection has the resources needed to acquire counter-tunnel technology. Since 1990, officials have discovered more than 140 tunnels that have breached the U.S. border, with an 80 percent increase in tunnel activity occurring since 2008. Over the years, CBP has worked to combat these tunnels as part of their overall strategy. In fact, the United States conducts research, development, and test activities with Israel, which must contend with a vast network of Hamas tunnels originating in the Gaza Strip. This partnership helps us to detect and destroy tunnels in our respective countries. The FY23 NDAA mandated that CBP submit a one-time report to Congress on a strategic plan to counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations. This singular report has since led Congress to conduct critical oversight and has enabled CBP to formalize many of the processes, technologies, and resources needed to counteract illicit tunnels under the U.S.-Mexico border. My bill would expand on this success by mandating a report every year going forward to ensure Congress has sufficient knowledge and oversight regarding this dynamic threat. With border crossings thankfully going down since January, I think it is safe to assume this will drive threats at our border underground through these tunnels. I thank Mr. Correa for co-leading with me, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation for a secure southern border. Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, I believe this bill is an important step in the right direction. Receiving information from the Department of Homeland Security on an annual basis will improve Congress' efforts to counter illicit cross-border tunnels and hold bad actors accountable. I support this bipartisan piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. I again thank both of my colleagues, Mr. Correa and Mr. Crane, for putting this together. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 495, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Green) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 495. The question was taken. The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it. Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. ____________________

Referenced legislation: HR495, HR495