releases: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=1AA18204-3C31-4867-A855-476CD35AE0D4
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=1AA18204-3C31-4867-A855-476CD35AE0D4 | Heitkamp Statement on Voting to Approve Homeland Security Secretary Nominee Kirstjen Nielsen | 2017-11-15 | 2017 | 2017-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today released the following statement after joining a bipartisan group of senators on the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to advance Kirstjen Nielsen’s nomination to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Her nomination now heads to the Senate floor for final approval. Last week, Heitkamp invited Nielsen to North Dakota and received commitments from her to prioritize enhancing and improving Northern Border security. “Securing our Northern Border is necessary to keep North Dakota – and our nation’s – communities safe, but for too long our hardworking security personnel have been chronically understaffed and under-resourced,” said Heitkamp. “Last week when I questioned Ms. Nielsen during a Senate hearing on her nomination, she committed to prioritizing security improvements along our Northern Border – including quickly implementing the new Northern Border strategy, which was recommended by DHS as a result of my bipartisan bill becoming law – and pushing for the budgetary resources to make that strategy a reality. Our nation needs a strong DHS Secretary who will act as an independent voice and will not be swayed by political pressure or other undue influences. I plan to hold Ms. Nielsen to her commitment to do just that, as well as her promises to secure the Northern Border and address some of the long-term challenges at so we can keep North Dakota and our nation strong and safe.” During the hearing on Nielsen's nomination last week, Heitkamp underscored to Nielsen the immediate need to recognize the security and personnel challenges that exist in effectively protecting the nation’s 5,500-mile Northern Border. Nielsen confirmed that she would work to quickly review and implement a new Northern Border security strategy as recommended by DHS’ recently completed Northern Border Threat Assessment – a report that was ordered as a result of Heitkamp’s Northern Border Security Review Act being signed into law last year. Additionally, Nielsen committed to advocating for the resources in upcoming DHS budgets to execute the strategy. As part of her efforts to fully review and consider candidates nominated to serve in the administration, Heitkamp sat down with Nielsen last month to discuss a host of issues she and Nielsen agreed must be at the forefront of DHS’ agenda – including addressing cyber security threats and implementing a new Northern Border security strategy. A key piece of Heitkamp’s Strong & Safe Communities Initiative, her Northern Border Security Review Act specifically addresses the concerns and challenges she and then-DHS Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas heard about in April 2015 from federal, state, county, and local officials and law enforcement officers while visiting Pembina when she brought Mayorkas to North Dakota. Heitkamp heard similar feedback during other meetings she held in North Dakota and at a U.S. Senate hearing she pushed for on the issue. Heitkamp’s bill passed unanimously in both the Senate and House. The world’s longest common-law border, the Northern Border has 120 border crossings, many of which are small and in rural areas. According to DHS, approximately 400,000 people and $2 billion in goods and services cross the Northern Border each day – representing the largest bilateral flow of goods and people in the world. Heitkamp has been working to make sure sufficient attention is paid to protecting the Northern Border through meetings with border security officials in North Dakota and in Washington D.C. visiting the border in Pembina and Portal, raising awareness about the challenges at the border for top federal officials and agency heads, and introducing legislation. More details about action she has taken to make sure the Northern Border receives the proper attention include: Bringing then-DHS Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to North Dakota. When Heitkamp brought Mayorkas to Pembina’s Port of Entry and Border Patrol Facilities in April 2015, they spoke about ways to improve issues federal border security officials face in attracting and maintaining a strong border security workforce. During the visit, they also discussed ways to improve efforts to combat human and drug trafficking, as well as ways to expand the use of technology to help protect the border. Securing lasting Northern Border security efforts at Grand Forks Air Force Base. After multiple meetings with U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials, during which Heitkamp pushed the agency to take concrete steps toward securing a long-term Air and Marine Operations (AMO) presence at Grand Forks Air Force Base, DHS’ Customs and Border Protection (CBP) heeded her call and in September, announcing it would stay at the base in a renovated facility. Reducing drug crime and flow at the border. In August 2014, Heitkamp joined then-White House Drug Czar Michael Botticelli to unveil a new national strategy to fight drug crimes in the Bakken and at the Northern Border that she specifically pushed for. Calling attention to chronic challenges at Northern Border ports of entry. In March, Heitkamp questioned key CBP union officials about actions that could be taken to help effectively tackle consistent challenges faced by CBP officers at the Northern Border’s 120 ports of entry. Currently, the CBP’s Office of Field Operations needs an additional 1,000 officers to adequately secure the nation’s ports of entry, which hundreds of millions of travelers crossed last year – more than ever before – and where international travel is expected to increase exponentially. Holding border security meetings in Minot, Portal and Grand Forks. Heitkamp visited the CBP facility in Grand Forks in January 2014, and she held a discussion in June 2014 with law enforcement in Minot to discuss stressed law enforcement personnel in the border region. Last November, Heitkamp visited the Portal Port of Entry where she met with CBP officers and managers about the challenges they face in helping secure the Northern Border. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |