Rep. Poe: Use Iraq military equipment to police Mexican border

Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) on Tuesday introduced a bill that would ship 10 percent of the returning military equipment from Iraq to the border of Mexico for border security.

"The American people have invested billions of dollars in equipment used to secure Iraq; now it's time to use that equipment to secure the United States," said Poe. "State and local officials are doing the job of the federal government—defending the international border with Mexico."

In comments earlier today, Poe said the equipment is needed because U.S. border sheriffs say they are "outmanned, outgunned and out-financed by the drug cartels."

Poe said equipment that could be shipped to the southern border includes humvees, night vision equipment and surveillance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). He said 1.5 million pieces of equipment have already left Iraq, and 900,000 remain in that country.

Poe added that the Send Equipment for National Defense (SEND) Act, H.R. 3422, would give the Defense Department the discretion to keep its equipment if DOD certifies that there is an urgent need to do so.