WASHINGTON (February 18, 2019) – The Border Trade Alliance is pleased with the spending bill produced by a conference committee and signed into law last Friday by President Trump.

The bill, which ensures that the federal government will remain fully open for the remainder of the fiscal year, contains a number of provisions important to the cross-border trade community, including funds for additional Customs and Border Protection officers, non-intrusive inspection equipment, and environmental infrastructure improvements.

“The BTA is very encouraged that Congress and the White House were able to close this chapter over spending in a way that not only ensures the government will be fully operational, but that also makes critical investments in areas the border trade community cares about,” BTA President Ms. Britton Clarke said.

The bill contains $59 million for 600 new CBP officers and $564 million for non-intrusive inspection technology at the ports of entry. The bill also includes $550 million for a rural broadband pilot program, and $191 million for improvements at the Calexico West Port of Entry in California.

“Investments in personnel and technology are essential not only for facilitating legitimate trade and travel at our ports of entry, but also for increasing our interdiction efforts,” Clarke said. “This bill is a win-win for the ports of entry that process the trade that keeps the American economy moving.”

The bill also calls for $15 million in funding for water and wastewater infrastructure along the U.S.-Mexico border, an area that has struggled with cross-border sewage flows from Mexico into U.S. border communities.

“From California to Texas, degrading wastewater infrastructure has long had a negative effect on communities’ quality of life,” Border Trade Alliance Chair Paola Avila said. “Improvements to the region’s environmental infrastructure are becoming increasingly urgent, so we are appreciative of the conference committee’s diligence on this issue.”

Since 1986, the BTA has served as a grassroots, non-profit organization that provides a forum for discussion and advocacy on issues pertaining to border development and quality of life and trade in the Americas. A network of public and private sector representatives from the United States, Mexico and Canada, BTA’s core values include a commitment to improving the quality of life of border communities through trade and commerce. The BTA is online at https://thebta.org/ and @borderalliance.

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