South Texas and El Paso Public-Private Partnerships Subject of House Homeland Security Subcommittee Hearing

WASHINGTON – The past chairman of the Border Trade Alliance and the current president of the South Texas Assets Consortium (STAC), and the administrator for Cameron County, Texas will provide testimony at a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee’s Border and Maritime Subcommittee tomorrow, Wednesday, Nov. 4. Sam Vale, who owns the Starr-Camargo Bridge Co. in Rio Grande City, Texas, and David Garcia, the county administrator for Cameron County, Texas, will discuss a program that allows local governments and private sector entities to partner with Customs and Border Protection to supplement personnel resources and improve infrastructure at land border ports of entry. The City of El Paso, Texas and several South Texas communities have entered into these reimbursable service agreements with CBP, which have resulted in improved staffing levels and shortened bridge wait times along the TexasMexico border. The legislation that made the agreements possible was championed by the Border Trade Alliance, of which the participating land border communities are all members.