Transportation bill offers rare opportunity for bipartisanship

Word out of Washington is that the House will soon take up its version of a long-term transportation funding bill. Having closed out 2011 with an unclear picture of a way forward on transportation, this comes as welcome news for border communities and trade advocates as we seek to preserve the Coordinated Border Infrastructure program, which we believe should be included in any transportation package. CBI dollars drawn down by border state departments of transportation are used to fund infrastructure projects that are critical to trade [more]

Border trade and travel bogged down by long lines

kvue.com Posted on January 5, 2012 at 9:58 PM Updated Friday, Jan 6 at 4:29 PM   EL PASO -- Trade has been a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy economy, and international bridges linking the U.S. and Mexico are economic lifelines. But there are mounting complaints growth is bogged down by long lines at the border crossings. ”There has been no improvement over the past few years,” said Steve Ortega, an El Paso city council representative. Recently Ortega joined the thousands of people lined up at the border in El Paso waiting to enter the U.S. to shop, work, or visit relatives. He’s [more]

Bersin resignation a disappointment, but CBP leadership in good hands

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin last Thursday announced his resignation effective December 30. For folks who monitor border trade and security issues, this wasn't exactly a surprise. But it was still a [more]

Border Trade Alliance Commends Alan Bersin for Tenure as CBP Commissioner

"All of us at the Border Trade Alliance want to commend Commissioner Bersin for a job well done during his tenure at the helm of Customs and Border Protection. He led his agency with a steadfast commitment to facilitating legitimate trade and travel while keeping our country safe from outside threats. Mr. Bersin should feel very proud of his accomplishments at CBP, including an unprecedented engagement with the private [more]

Making widgets, not war

Border communities on the U.S. side of the border are navigating a new public safety paradigm, which has our leaders assessing whether we're doing all we can to ensure our security. But let's keep our characterizations of what's going on in the border region constrained to reality. Otherwise, our credibility suffers and with it the border's standing as an attractive place to live and do [more]