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From Senator Coburn:

Federal environmental bureaucrats continue to block the Border Patrol.

You may recall that I offered an amendment last year to a federal lands bill that would have forced the Department of the Interior and the Department of Homeland Security to end the dangerous lock-out of federal border patrol agents on large areas of our border owned and managed by the federal government. The dispute arose when federal land managers objected and indicated that border patrol activities might negatively impact endangered species.

Little progress has been made since that time, despite assurances to the contrary. As such, federal lands along the border continue to act as a safe haven for extremely dangerous criminals. Drug and human smugglers have committed some of the most heinous acts imaginable on these lands owned by taxpayers. Yet, the bureaucratic squabble over endangered species continues to keep Border Patrol agents from shutting these activities down.

I will soon offer legislation in the Senate that, if passed, will finally put an end to the non-sense that continues to threaten border patrol activities, and endanger the lives of our dedicated agents. The Border Patrol must be allowed to do its job.