Hatch Opening Statement at CBP Nomination Markup

WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today delivered the following opening statement at a Finance Committee markup of the nomination of Kevin K. McAleenan to serve as Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection:

I’d like to welcome everyone here to this afternoon’s executive session. Today we will consider the nomination of Mr. McAleenan as Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP.

CBP is the United States’ unified border agency, charged with facilitating legitimate trade and travel, by enforcing U.S. trade laws and securing our borders.

Trade is essential to the growth and economic competitiveness of the U.S. economy.

In fact, one of CBP’s most important responsibilities is to balance trade facilitation and security, a job that requires the agency to work with Congress, stakeholders in the trade community, and CBP’s partner government agencies to achieve success.

This committee, by developing and passing the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, has provided CBP the tools it needs to better facilitate legitimate trade and enforce U.S. trade laws. Toward those ends, CBP has a lot of work ahead, particularly in trade enforcement. As I stated during Mr. McAleenan’s hearing in October, I believe Mr. McAleenan’s is a well-qualified nominee with the necessary experience and credentials to lead CBP as it executes those missions.

I hope that we can report his nomination out of committee in short order.

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