increase the number of CBP personnel on the border to ensure operational control of the border rests in our hands.
Congress should increase the number of CBP personnel on the border.
Occurrences
increase the number of CBP personnel on the border to ensure operational control of the border rests in our hands
Evidence
The explanatory statement for H.R. 2617 says the agreement provides funding for 19,855 Border Patrol agents, an increase of 300 above FY 2022.
The enacted FY 2024 DHS budget was sufficient to pay for about 2,000 additional Border Patrol agents, bringing the funded level to 22,000.
DHS said it increased the number of agents and officers on the southwest border to over 24,000 and secured the first significant increase of Border Patrol Agents in more than a decade.
Assessments
The promise was to increase CBP personnel on the border. The evidence shows Congress enacted funding increases for Border Patrol agents, including 300 more agents in the FY 2023 explanatory statement and funding for about 2,000 additional agents in FY 2024, with DHS later reporting more than 24,000 agents and officers on the southwest border by early 2025. Because the promised directional outcome occurred through enacted federal funding and staffing increases while Cloud was serving in Congress, this is best rated delivered.