On March 14, 2012, Congressman Henry Cuellar sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor about CBP employees being furloughed as part of sequestration, as well as Border Patrol agents being de-authorized for AUO. Part of his letter reads:
“Coupled with furloughs, Border Patrol agents are facing approximately 40 percent loss in pay, greater than any other CBP employee and federal law enforcement officer earning premium pay. The operational impact to border security is unthinkable. The furloughs and de-authorization of AUO caused by the sequester will impact Border Patrol’s ability to patrol the 1,104 miles of border in Texas on a 24-hour basis. An estimated 171,000 man hours of Border Patrol operations (49,000 from furlough and 122,000 from AUO) will be lost every two weeks in Texas, an average of 12,000 hours per day.”
The letter was also signed by Congressmen Beto O’Rourke, Ruben Hinojosa, and Filemon Vela.
NBPC Local 2366 would like to thank the congressmen for their support.
Click here to read a copy of the letter in its entirety (PDF).