One of the refrains we hear from people who live and work along the border is that lawmakers in DC don’t get it. They make decisions about border security and spending without having seen the realities of being here. Today, at least a few senators got to see some of the border region up close. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee had a field hearing in El Paso, across from Juarez, a town that’s been the scene of vicious drug violence.

A few points stood out. One thing all the witnesses agreed on was that Mexico is not a failed state. That said, another thing all the witnesses seemed to agree on was that the drug violence had gotten to a level that was unprecedented. And these are people who’ve been working in the field for more than a decade. The looming question, at least in El Paso, is — what happens after the Mexican military pulls out of Juarez? The violence is down after the Mexican government pumped thousands of troops into the city. That effort seems unsustainable over the long term. Are the cartels playing a waiting game? Will they just shift their focus to another area that’s not as protected?

The DEA agent in charge of this region says the majority of illicit drugs come through the Southern border.  Juarez and El Paso are at the center of a highly profitable drug route. A former police chief in Juarez says half of the force was tossed out for corruption — and there were still others. An ATF agent testified about cartel interest in obtaining not just guns, but also explosives. A professor talked about a sort of culture war that cartels are waging, with banners, music and videos on YouTube, to win over young people.

And yet — El Paso was the third safest city of its size in the U.S. even though it sits right across from arguably one of the most dangerous places in Mexico. What’s stopping cartels from bringing more bloodshed onto U.S. land? The experts say off the top — it’s not in the cartels’ business interests to create a lot of attention here. And violence would surely be met with a much different response from U.S. law enforcement. Drug enforcement officers credit their efforts. The state of Texas has been sending millions to help beef up its resources. And the Feds are ramping up as well.

What happens next and what D.C. lawmakers do next, could at least in small part be influenced by what a few of them heard here today.

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