Chet Edwards For Congress - Border Security & Illegal Immigration

Securing our Borders & Stopping Illegal Immigration

Kat — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:10:19 -0700

Securing our Borders & Stopping Illegal Immigration

Chet believes our nation's first priority is to secure our borders and to protect our homeland and he strongly opposes amnesty in any form. While others have talked about securing our borders, Chet has done something about it.

Chet helped write the law that added 1500 additional border patrol agents and has supported legislation that would add 6000 more, to better police our borders and stop the influx of illegal immigration.

Chet secured $16 million for Waco's L-3 to build P-3 aircraft, a surveillance tool for securing our borders, catching drug smugglers and stopping illegal immigration.

Chet opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants and wants strict enforcement of our illegal immigration laws.

Chet voted to end the practice of “catch and release”, instead requiring all undocumented aliens to be detained until they are removed from the United States.

Chet voted for the Welfare Reform Act in 1996 that prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving any form of welfare benefits.

Chet supports building physical barriers along strategic portions of the U.S./Mexican border.

Chet supported legislation to implement a new mandatory employer verification system, which requires employers to check a job applicant's legal status and tough new penalties on employers who continue to hire illegal immigrants.

Chet opposes earned citizenship for illegal immigrants who have committed serious crimes while in the United States.

Local company develops Army devices

econnor — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:11:31 -0700

March 24, 2008

Local company develops Army devices

The Bryan College Station Eagle

By HOLLY HUFFMAN |Eagle Staff Writer

American soldiers may some day soon be able to immediately detect chemical and biological threats through the use of small portable hand-held devices that currently doesn't exist in the field.

And rather than lug around 80 pounds of disposable batteries, military troops may have rechargeable units to power their computers and night vision equipment.

Meanwhile, small spy planes that now fly less than two hours at a time may one day have batteries that are strong enough to keep the small aircraft in the air for half a day.

These technological breakthroughs in national defense and homeland security were unveiled Monday at Lynntech Inc, a College Station-based research and development company. The work is part of a $2.6 million congressional earmark secured last year by U.S. Congressman Chet Edwards. The funding was designated for fiscal year 2008.

"This is an important program because it is about protecting the lives of service men and women in harm's way who are protecting our country," the Democrat from Waco said Monday while visiting the Lynntech lab. "We have a moral obligation to do everything possible to protect our troops and bring them home safely."

Lynntech CEO John Clanton said the company has been working on the technologies involved with the projects for the past four years. In addition to the congressional funding, the company previously was awarded about $850,000 from the defense department, he said.

Oliver Murphy, Lynntech co-founder and chief technological officer, said all three projects are in similar stages of development. Each has about a year to go before being sent to the Army for testing, which he said could take another year.

The bulk of the congressional funding will go toward the development of the handheld threat detection system. The small, green prototype on display Monday is just a fraction of the size of its large, boxy predecessor.

In addition to saving soldiers lives, Murphy and Edwards said that the device also could be used as a tool for emergency responders called to plumes of strange smoke or unknown gases. Such a device, which could instantaneously determine the type of gas and its lethality, could have be used earlier this year when the toxic chemical ricin was found in a Las Vegas motel, the pair said.

"Maybe it's Baghdad today, but tomorrow it could be Las Vegas," Murphy said.

The funding also will be used for further development with fuel cells used to power military equipment in the field.

Lynntech scientists are working to lengthen the life of batteries used on spy planes, which would keep the aircraft aloft for longer periods of time. Currently, the planes, which have a 13-foot wing span, can only fly for about two hours, which means soldiers must carry them from place to place, scientists explained.

A 12-hour battery would allow the plane to fly in formation above the troops until coordinates were entered remotely. The plane then could fly over an area in question, automatically download its data and return to formation, scientists explained.

"We can save troops' lives," Murphy said. "This technology is probably the next major breakthrough in real time intelligence."

The researchers said they also are developing rechargeable batteries that can be used in the field. Currently, soldiers must carry with them between 60 and 80 pounds of disposable batteries, which are discarded once the power is drained.

Having rechargeable units would allow troops to carry just a couple sets of batteries, giving them more room for food and other basic necessities.

"That's amazing," Edwards said as he and Lynntech scientists walked around a large table displaying each of the three projects. "The bottom line is you end up saving lives. That's what it's all about."

Brazos Valley tallies $41 million in earmarks

econnor — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 22:09:42 -0700

Saturday, December 29, 2007

BV tallies $41 million in earmarks

The Bryan College Station Eagle

By JANET PHELPS |Eagle Staff Writer

More than $41 million will be poured into Brazos Valley projects next year, thanks to earmarks by U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco.

President Bush criticized special project money as "wasteful government spending" when he signed the $555 billion bill Wednesday that funds the Iraq war into 2008 and keeps government agencies running through September.

The money will go to 16 projects in Brazos, Robertson, Madison and Grimes counties. The projects range from high-profile aerospace engineering and biofuel research at Texas A&M University to a small, church-based drug prevention program.

Edwards said Friday he was proud of the federal money he secured for local projects because it's an effective way to encourage local growth.

The Constitution gives Congress the power to make appropriations, he said, and earmarks allow local leaders to identify and receive funding for projects they see as important.

"I believe [locally initiated projects] make more sense than letting some bureaucrat in the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, D.C., make decisions about what projects to fund," he said. "I would challenge anyone to criticize agricultural research at A&M or emergency response training that help make our cities safer."

A majority of the $41.6 million will go to Texas A&M, including $985,000 for biofuels research and $705,000 for aerospace engineering projects that are used by NASA for lunar and Mars exploration.

Ken Peddicord, director of Texas A&M's Texas Engineering Experiment Station, said the funding is an important step in advancing research into new energy sources.

Texas A&M's BioEnergy Alliance -- a partnership between the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and the Texas Engineering Experiment Station -- has developed groundbreaking research in alternative fuels such as sorghum that do not come from food sources, he said.

"This money allows the program to strike off in new directions, to move away from corn and ethanol," he said.

St. Joseph Health System also received money for repairs to its Madisonville hospital.

Gentry Woodard, director of legislative affairs and grants for the St. Joseph Health System, said employees at the 57-year-old hospital have volunteered on weekends to make repairs themselves.

Edwards said the staff dedication is one reason he allotted $117,000 to pay for repairs to the roof and emergency room upgrades.

"It was terribly important to that community," he said.

The earmarks come on top of the 2008 defense appropriations bill that was signed into law in November, in which Edwards secured $6.8 million for Texas A&M defense projects and $2.6 million for Lynntech Inc.

Other local earmarks include:

$392,000 to repave County Road 172 in northern Grimes County.

$196,000 to make improvements to Collard Street in Madisonville.

$376,000 to improve communication technology equipment at the Navasota Police Department.

$12.5 million to train emergency first responders at the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center at Texas A&M.

$2 million to fund research at the Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute at Texas A&M.

$21.9 million to 23 farming, forestry and animal health research programs at Texas A&M.

$1.39 million to provide anti-terrorism training to educators and local law enforcement through the Texas Engineering Extension Service's Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training program and Texas A&M's Project Protect.

$588,000 to Brazos Valley Transportation Management Center to study local traffic solutions and plan for future growth.

$150,000 to Project Focus, a drug- and alcohol-abuse prevention program at Shiloh Baptist Church in Bryan.

L-3 likely to get $16 million.....

Kat — Thu, 18 May 2006 12:59:48 -0700

May 18, 2006
L-3 likely to get $16 million for high-flying border patrol

Waco Tribune Herald
By Mike Copeland | Tribune-Herald business editor

Waco’s L-3 Communications plant likely will get $16 million to refurbish three or four P-3 planes used by the Department of Homeland Security to patrol U.S. borders.

U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, pushed to have the money included in the budget for fiscal 2007, which begins Oct. 1. The Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee approved the expenditure this week. The full House has final say, but Edwards expresses confidence the money will be spent.

The $16 million allocation, Edwards said during a media conference Wednesday, “means more secure borders, more jobs for the local community and more work for L-3, which is Waco’s largest corporate employer.”

P-3 planes have been used to provide “high-tech surveillance” in hot spots like Iraq and Afghanistan, Edwards said, adding the same technology can be used to reduce the flow of illegal aliens and illicit drugs entering the country.

Edwards said he supports President Bush’s plan to place about 6,000 National Guard troops along the U.S. border with Mexico to stem the tide of illegal immigration.

But these troops need high-tech support in the form of P-3 planes providing surveillance, he added.

Edwards said the Department of Homeland Security has 16 P-3 planes in its fleet. Without funding to keep the planes in good working order, “we would see a significant degradation of our border security.”

Edwards’ office says the P-3 fleet is aging, with some airframes more than 36 years old. Last year, the P-3 aircraft were used in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

This is the second straight year Edwards has worked to ensure L-3 receives money to maintain the P-3 fleet. The last allocation also was for $16 million.

L-3 spokesman Lance Martin said work on P-3 planes goes on almost constantly at the plant located at Texas State Technical College. The plant had 1,683 people working there Wednesday, including just under 100 contractors.

“The dedication of Rep. Edwards to homeland security is tireless,” said Ed Boyington, site executive for L-3 Communications in Waco. “We are pleased to hear of the additional funding provided in this markup to extend the life of the (P-3 fleet).”

Proposed budget cuts hurt TEEX

Kat — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 14:34:43 -0700

February 27, 2006
Proposed budget cuts hurt TEEX

The Battalion
By Bunmi Ishola | Battalion staff writer

Thirty thousand fewer emergency personnel may be trained at Texas A&M and 97,000 nation-wide each year if a proposed federal budget cut is passed, said U.S. Representative Chet Edwards.

A&M's National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center (NERRTC) is facing a possible $15 million cut for the 2007 fiscal year, decreasing funding from its current $22 million to $7 million.

Edwards is a member of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, which is responsible for allocating funds for such programs as NERRTC.

On a local level, 55 staff members would lose their jobs, but the change would also impact local restaurants and hotels, Edwards said. With less people training at A&M yearly, it could be detrimental to the local economy, he said.

NERRTC was established in 1998 and funded by the U.S. Congress to improve the capabilities of emergency responders and local officials to respond to acts of terrorism and natural disasters. It is part of the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) in the Texas A&M University System.

As the founding member of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, NERRTC has delivered training on behalf of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for more than 175,000 responders in all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, said Jason Cook, communications director for TEEX.

TEEX provides training courses ranging from threat and risk assessment to incident management and unified command, Cook said. Emergency personnel across the U.S. are equally prepared for national threats and natural disasters because training is standardized, he said.

Cook said the budget cut is not yet official and that a similar cut was proposed for the 2006 fiscal year. The change did not pass, and the program actually received a $2 million funding increase, he said.

"This is just the first step in the budget appropriation process," Cook said.

Yearly, the administration sends a proposed budget to the government. A budget appropriations committee looks over the proposed budget and suggests possible cuts or additions.

The budget passes between Congress and the president until an agreement is reached. Cook said it can take up to six months before a final budget is agreed upon and implemented.

The fundamental problem national budgeting faces is prioritizing, said David McIntyre, director of the A&M Integrative Center for Homeland Security. There is a short list of programs available for governmental funding, he said.

"I'd put NERRTC on the top of my list," McIntyre said. "(Cutting funds) would be a major mistake. (NERRTC) is really one of the crown jewels."

Edwards Secures $16 Million to Enhance Border Security ...

Kat — Tue, 10 May 2005 11:38:46 -0700

May 10, 2005
Edwards Secures $16 Million for L-3 to Enhance Border Security, Aid Drug Interdiction under Homeland Security Bill

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Representative Chet Edwards, a member of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, announced today that he has secured $16 million for L-3 programs in the 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, which passed the full House Appropriations committee today.

Under the bill, Waco’s largest private employer, L-3 Communications, received $16 million in funding for important upgrades for two Customs and Border Protection P-3 aircraft. The airframes in current use are more than 35 years old, and in 2006 the first two aircraft will reach their maximum life and be taken out of use without the funding. In order to prevent loss of this critical border protection tool, Edwards requested the $16 million be added to the Department of Homeland Security’s Air and Marine Operations budget in order to initiate work to extend the life of these aircraft.

“The work of L-3 Communications is important to our national security, and I am proud to support their role in homeland security, and border control,” said Edwards. “The Customs and Border Protection P-3 fleet is aging and this funding will enable L-3 to upgrade two aircraft to enhance our ability to protect our borders and to reduce the smuggling of illegal drugs into the United States.”

The P-3 surveillance planes provide important patrol of our national borders along with its traditional drug interdiction operations. The surveillance radar of the P-3 planes can be used to detect aircraft carrying illegal drugs or terrorists over a radius of several hundred miles.

“We genuinely appreciate the support of Rep. Edwards in securing this funding for such critical homeland security needs,” said Ed Boyington, vice president of L-3 Communications Integrated Systems in Waco. “All of us at L-3 are extremely pleased to hear of the additional funding provided in the House of Representatives Homeland Security Appropriations markup to extend the life of the Customs and Border Protection P-3 force. Our workforce in Waco proudly supports the Customs and Border Protection P-3s maintenance and operations, and we look forward to working with them on this sustainment effort.”

The Homeland Security bill also includes a provision supported by Edwards restoring $20 million for Texas A&M’s first responder training center, the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center (NERRTC). The Administration had proposed a $12.5 million cut to A&M’s system, but Edwards put together a bi-partisan effort to successfully stop the drastic cuts.

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