Today the House passed the Omnibus Appropriations bill that contains language authored by Congressman Henry Cuellar calling for an assessment of the infrastructure needs of American land ports of entry including several within Cuellar’s 28th District of Texas. The language was taken from H.R. 2431, a bill Congressman Cuellar introduced earlier in this session of Congress.

Special provisions in the Cuellar bill now contained in the Omnibus package include a “Port of Entry Infrastructure Assessment Study” to be up dated no later then  January 31of every other year.  The study was prepared by the United States Customs Service, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and will be updated by Department of Homeland Security and the General Services Administration (G.S.A.), and then reviewed by the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border protection, in consultation with the G.S.A., the office of Management and Budget, the Secretary of DHS and the affected state and local agencies.

Needs that will be looked at include: 1) infrastructure and technology projects to enhance border security and facilitate the flow of legitimate commerce, 2) the ability of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to achieve its mission and to support operations, 3) the ability to fulfill security requirements, and 4) facilitate trade across the borders of the United States.

Congressman Cuellar, who worked closely with Congressman Dennis R. Rehberg (R-MT) to sponsor the original bill, understands how important decreasing “wait times” is in facilitating commerce and tourism between the U.S. and Mexico, while maintaining the highest level of security along the border.

“It is imperative that we reduce the wait times at our borders and provide the resources they need to be fully operational,” said Congressman Cuellar.  “As a native of the border, I know firsthand how essential it is to reduce wait times at the border to bolster trade and tourism.”

Once the assessment is complete, the list of infrastructure and technology improvement projects will be forwarded to the Administrator of General Services for implementation in the order of priority assigned to each project.  In the upcoming legislative session, Congressman Cuellar will also work to provide the necessary funding to increase the number of Customs Officers working at international bridges.

Cuellar’s provisions also call for a National Land Border Security Plan that will be prepared with the consultation of affected federal, sate and local law enforcement agencies and private entities that are involved in international trade to provide the best security for the land ports.

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Congressman Henry Cuellar is a member of the House Homeland Security, Small Business, and Agriculture Committees in the 110th Congress; accessibility to constituents, education, health care, economic development and national security are his priorities. Congressman Cuellar is also a Senior Whip.