The Voice of the Border: Trade, immigration, infrastructure, health, agriculture, technology
BTA Podcast: Senator Hutchison & Congressman Reyes on Wait-Times Legislation: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadSenator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) recently addressed the attendees of the BTA International Conference in Washington D.C. on their legislative efforts to address a number of components contributing to delays at our borders. Senator Hutchison and Congressman Rodriguez have introduced and pressed for the passage of […]
Border Trade Alliance (BTA) is stunned that the most determined member of this Administration committed to building more capacity at our nations ports of entry has resigned. Lurita Doan, Administrator of U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), has single handedly energized a moribund national effort to build more lanes, inspection booths, bridges, and ports […]
The Border Trade Alliance (BTA) today announced its strong support for the PORTS Act, H.R. 5622, recently introduced by Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX). The PORTS (Putting Our Resources Toward Security) Act authorizes significant increases in funding for security personnel and infrastructure at all U.S. land ports of entry in order to meet […]
BTA would like to thank the dedicated speakers and attendees of the BTA Int. Conference 2008: Understanding Wait-times: Border Delays’ Impacts on Trade. The international conference and congressional briefing, brought together international business, border community, federal agency, and Congressional Leaders to focus on the importance of identifying solutions to address increased wait-times […]
In our new podcast series, President of the Border Trade Alliance, Maria Luisa O’Connell, interviews The Honorable Richard Cortez, Mayor, City of McAllen, TX. In this exclusive interview Mayor Cortez provides a powerful perspective on the economic impacts facing the border region and our nation at large if progress is not made to resolve […]
Today, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced support for a proposal to enhance the existing levee structure along 22 miles of the Rio Grande River in Hidalgo County, Texas. The construction of a concrete retaining wall along land owned by the International Boundary and Water Commission will address flood control and […]
On Thursday January 3rd, the House Homeland Security Committee held a field hearing in El Paso, Texas entitled, “Ensuring Homeland Security While Facilitating Legitimate Travel: The Challenge at America’s Ports of Entry.” In this meeting, members of the Department of Homeland Security, General Services Administration, Government Accountability Office and numerous private enterprises gathered […]
On December 31, 2007 the U.S. Department of State published a final rule in the Federal Register on the development of the PASS Card. The wallet-sized, low cost alternative to a U.S. Passport is designed to facilitate efficient and secure cross-border travel at land and sea ports of entry. On June 1, […]
REAL ID
What Is It?
The REAL ID Act of 2005 was signed into law on May 11, 2005 as an attachment to the “Emergency Supplemental Appropriation for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005.” According to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) website, the REAL ID Act is “a nationwide effort […]
The second day of 2008 marked the end of the remaining tariffs on agricultural products traded between the United States and Mexico, achieving a remaining objective of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Tri-lateral trade between NAFTA members, the United States, Canada and Mexico has increased dramatically since the 1994 inception of […]
