Trey Gowdy Presses DHS On Release Of Aggravated Felons To Cut Costs

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[Trey Gowdy Presses DHS On Release Of Aggravated Felons To Cut Costs]

[Trey Gowdy] Source: LYBIO.net
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Borras what’s a Level 1 detainee?

[Rafael Borras]
You’re referring to in ICE that the detainee…

[Trey Gowdy] Source: LYBIO.net
Yeah.

[Rafael Borras]
Yeah that is something that I would have to get back to you on, I’m not…

[Trey Gowdy]
But you wouldn’t disagree, if I told you it was an aggravated felon, Level 1s are aggravated felons, and 10 of them were released due to sequestration. Do you know what it cost per day to detain an aggravated felon?

[Rafael Borras]
No, I do not.

[Trey Gowdy]
Would you disagree if I told you it was $122 a day to detain an aggravated felon.

[Rafael Borras] Source: LYBIO.net
No, $122 sounds approximately right in terms of our cost per pretension per bed per night.

[Trey Gowdy]
All right, so it’s a $122 a day to detain a Level 1 aggravated felon, do you know, how many Level 1 aggravated felons were released by ICE as part of their cost saving due to sequestration?

[Rafael Borras]
No, I do not.

[Trey Gowdy]
There would be 10 of them. So 10 times a $122 even for a liberal arts majors what about $1,200 a day? Is that close?

[Rafael Borras]
That sounds good.

[Trey Gowdy]
Is there nothing else in the department budget that could be – where you could find $1,200 a day in saving other than to release Level 1 offenders.

[Rafael Borras]
Well, the issue of whether it’s Level 1 or any offenders aside…

[Trey Gowdy] Source: LYBIO.net
Well, right now it’s Level 1 because they are aggravated felons so could you not find $1,200 somewhere else in the DHS budget other than releasing Level 1 aggravated felons as part of your cost saving measures.

[Rafael Borras]
If I had the discretion to be able to pick and choose where in the department to pull savings I certainly can do that, but…

[Trey Gowdy]
What? No wait a minute, how much money is DHS sitting on? Right now?

[Rafael Borras]
Our total budget?

[Trey Gowdy]
No, no how much money in unused – how much unencumbered money are you sitting on right now?

[Rafael Borras] Source: LYBIO.net
Unobligated money, I don’t, I don’t have that exact number.

[Trey Gowdy]
Well, I don’t need an exact number, is it more than $1,200?

[Rafael Borras]
Yes. Sir

[Trey Gowdy]
Okay, so don’t act as if you didn’t have any choice, but to release aggravated felons, you’re not suggesting that, are you?

[Rafael Borras]
No.

[Trey Gowdy]
That the only choice you had was to release Level 1 aggravated felons back on to the streets, is that what you are suggesting?

[Rafael Borras]
No, I’m not suggesting that in the least sir.

[Trey Gowdy] Source: LYBIO.net
Mr. Edwards, did you find any places where DHS might possibly save $1,200 a day.

[Charles K. Edwards]
We have a number of recommendations…

[Trey Gowdy]
But I will just settle for one, where is one where they might possibly have been able to do something other than release aggravated felons as part of their cost saving measures.

[Charles K. Edwards] On this release part of it, I received a letter last week from Senator Coburn, and I’m looking into it so I can’t really comment on…

[Trey Gowdy]
Well comment on any area where they might possibly have found $1,200 a day, anything, conferences, travel, detail lease, vehicles.

[Charles K. Edwards]
Yes to all of them.

[Trey Gowdy]
Any promotional materials, anything?

[Charles K. Edwards] Source: LYBIO.net
Yes to all of them.

[Trey Gowdy]
Mr. Borras when is the first time you realized the sequestration might be a possibility.

[Rafael Borras]
Probably in August of 2011.

[Trey Gowdy]
August of 2011, so that gave you how many months to prepare to do something other than to release, Level 1 aggravated felons? How many months between August 2011, and March 2013, almost…

[Rafael Borras] Source: LYBIO.net
19, 20 months.

[Trey Gowdy]
All right. Would you agree with me that the decision to release Level 1, aggravated felons was not the only option you had, there were other places you could have cut cost. You agree or disagree with that?

[Rafael Borras]
I don’t know enough about that particular budget line item to know what other options were available in that PPA to make choices to result in that release.

[Trey Gowdy]
Well, I’ll ask again, is your testimony that the only choice ICE had was to release aggravated felons back on to the street, there was nothing else they could do as a cost savings measure. Is that your testimony?

[Rafael Borras] Source: LYBIO.net
No, that’s not my testimony.

[Trey Gowdy]
Okay. All right thanks.

[Mr. Chairman]
With it, I’d ask the gentlemen have an additional one minute, (Will the gentleman yield).

[Trey Gowdy] Source: LYBIO.net
Be happy to Mr. Chairman.

Trey Gowdy Presses DHS On Release Of Aggravated Felons To Cut Costs. Could you not find $1,200 somewhere else in the DHS budget other than releasing Level 1 aggravated felons as part of your cost saving measures. Complete Full Transcript, Dialogue, Remarks, Saying, Quotes, Words And Text.