FEDERALhearing transcript

Proposed 2014 Budget for Customs and Border Protection

Original title: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2014

January 1, 2015

Customs and Border Protection Federal Budget International Trade Immigration Government Fees Workforce Management

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The Frame

What this does

The proposal impacts the speed of international trade and travel at U.S. ports of entry by adjusting staffing levels and increasing for passengers and commercial carriers.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

CBP Officers

The proposal impacts their staffing levels, overtime funding, and eligibility for foreign language incentive awards.

International Travelers and Commercial Carriers

They would be subject to a $2 increase in immigration and customs user fees.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2015.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) provided testimony regarding the fiscal year 2014 budget for Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The union advocates for hiring 3,477 new officers, increasing to cover operational costs, and maintaining funding for foreign language incentive programs.

Key Facts

The NTEU supports hiring 3,477 new CBP officers for air, sea, and land ports of entry.
1,600 new officer positions would be funded by a $210.1 million increase in the federal budget.
1,877 new officer positions would be funded by a $2 increase in immigration and customs user fees.
Customs user fees have not been increased since 2001.
The NTEU opposes a proposed $16 million cut to the Foreign Language Award Program (FLAP).
FLAP provides cash awards to employees proficient in critical foreign languages like Urdu, Farsi, and Arabic.
The budget proposes cutting 21 trade operations positions, including 14 rulings and regulations staff.
CBP reported a $100 million shortfall in commercial vehicle user fees in 2010.
Agriculture Quality Inspection (AQI) user fees currently cover only 62 percent of inspection costs, leaving a $325 million gap.
The NTEU supports a study of land border fee options to ensure full cost recovery for inspection services.

Why It Matters

The proposal impacts the speed of international trade and travel at U.S. ports of entry by adjusting staffing levels and increasing for passengers and commercial carriers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the union want to increase user fees?

The union argues that current fees have not been updated since 2001 and do not cover the actual costs of processing passengers and commercial shipments, leading to staffing shortages and delays.

What is the Foreign Language Award Program?

It is a program that provides cash incentives to CBP officers who use foreign language skills on the job, which the union argues is critical for anti-terrorism and efficient processing.

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Stagnant User Fees

The document highlights that customs user fees have remained unchanged since 2001, creating a significant funding gap for inspection services.

Customs and Border Protection

Connected Entities

organizationCustoms and Border Protection“The federal agency responsible for border security and trade regulation.”Map →

organizationNational Treasury Employees Union“The union representing 24,000 CBP officers and trade specialists.”Map →

personMary Landrieu“Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations.”Map →

organizationGovernment Accountability Office“Federal agency that provided reports on fee revenue and program costs.”Map →

personDan Coats“Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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