WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, met with President-Elect Joe Biden’s intended nominee for United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, to discuss the security priorities of Michiganders and the American people. Peters released the following statement on the meeting:
“As Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I am committed to strengthening the safety and security of Michiganders and all Americans. Today, I had a productive meeting with the President-elect’s intended nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas. We discussed our shared goal of protecting the American people, as well as the unique security needs of my home state.
“Michigan remains a major hub for international commerce and the well-being of many of my constituents depends on security at our Northern Border. Mr. Mayorkas and I discussed how we can work together to fully staff the customs plazas at the Gordie Howe Bridge and the Blue Water Bridge, two of our nation’s busiest border crossings. I also made him aware of long-standing challenges facing the Port of Monroe and our state’s other ports in their efforts to securely move critical cargo in and out of the Great Lakes and compete on an even playing field.
“Finally, Mr. Mayorkas and I agreed that we must work together to address grave and persistent threats facing our nation, including foreign and domestic terrorism, natural disasters, cyber-attacks, and now a pandemic. Given Mr. Mayorkas’ prior experience as a prosecutor, attorney and senior Department of Homeland Security official, I am confident he will work with us to address these security challenges as well as other law enforcement issues in our communities. Following our conversation, I am confident he is ready to lead this critical agency, which has been severely mismanaged over the last few years. I look forward to the confirmation process and working on a bipartisan basis to safeguard the American people.”
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