By law, the across-the-board cuts are supposed to be taken in equal measure from front-line programs like air traffic control, meat inspection and the Border Patrol and lower-priority items such as agriculture research and subsidies for airline travel to rural airports.

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Backers hope they will prove a cheaper alternative to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft for tasks as varied as power and pipeline inspection, mapping, security, border surveillance, research, filming, fire fighting, search and rescue and delivering supplies.

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Another area of future improvement is the inspection of food that comes into the United States at its border, Doyle said.

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Already at various border crossing points, customs authorities are having people who appear sick taken to a secondary inspection area for further evaluation.

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