Senator asked Alejandro Mayorkas his plans to secure Arizona’s border, help control the spread of COVID-19, and improve cybersecurity
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema spoke today at the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s nomination hearing for Alejandro Mayorkas, the nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security. Sinema questioned Mr. Mayorkas on his plans to secure Arizona’s border, improve technology use along the border, protect Customs and Border Protection personnel from COVID-19, control cross-border spread of COVID-19, and improve cybersecurity in Arizona and across the country.
“As a Senator from a border state, I know how important it is we work across the aisle to tackle threats against Arizona and along our country’s borders. I remain committed to finding bipartisan and commonsense solutions to secure Arizona’s border, protect public health, and keep Arizonans safe,” said Sinema, a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Sinema has worked across the aisle to keep Arizona safe and address ongoing challenges at the border. Sinema recently secured the passage of key border security proposals that will help secure Arizona’s borders, including her bipartisan Southwest Border Security Technology Improvement Act. This law requires the Department of Homeland Security to assess technology gaps along the southwest border and how it could address them. Sinema also secured the passage of language that echoes her bipartisan CBP Hiring and Retention Innovation Act to improve the hiring and retention of Customs and Border Protection agents and officers.
In 2019, Sinema secured critical priorities in the bipartisan border funding bills that were signed into law, including increasing the number of immigration judges at the border, and providing funding for nongovernmental organizations assisting migrants across Arizona.