No one wants to make it easy for terrorists or other criminals to cross the border into the United States.
But a proposal at the U.S. House that would expand the powers of the Department of Homeland Security by waiving compliance with 36 environmental laws and expand the agency’s jurisdiction to a 100-mile swath along borders and coastlines must be voted down or drastically modified.
A vote on what’s known as the Conservation and Economic Growth Act could come to the United States House sometime this week and we urge 8th District Congressman Chip Cravaack to rethink his earlier position.
Cravaack, rightly, wants to make it more difficult for people who may want to harm our nation or its citizens to cross our borders. But this bill simply provides too much power to one agency and not enough oversight into its activities.
Under the proposal, roads, fences and facilities could be constructed on lands managed by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and other federal lands that lie within 100 miles of an international border for the sake of national security.
And these activities could take place without following environmental rules put in place to protect our natural resources and without the usual comment period that allows the public, and local, state and federal governments to state their opinions.
Proposing this kind of expansion of power in our nation’s northern border is alarming. And even more alarming is the idea that no one will have a say into what is proposed under this bill if it becomes law, and environmental rules that the rest of us must follow may be waived.
We’d hope that our congressman does a little homework on this proposal by talking to the people he represents. Clearly, this bill is not needed here and should be closely scrutinized by all who may cast a vote on it.
