[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 152 Introduced in House (IH)]

  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 152

 Expressing the sense of Congress that legislation containing a cross-
border fee for vehicles and pedestrians entering the United States from 
         Canada or Mexico is unwise and should not be enacted.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 14, 1996

 Mr. Sanders (for himself, Mr. LaFalce, and Mr. Metcalf) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress that legislation containing a cross-
border fee for vehicles and pedestrians entering the United States from 
         Canada or Mexico is unwise and should not be enacted.

Whereas immigration reform legislation in the Senate (S. 269 of the 104th 
        Congress) contains authority that would allow the unilateral imposition 
        of a land border user fee for each vehicle or pedestrian entering the 
        United States at border crossings from Canada and Mexico;
Whereas the imposition of any such fees will have seriously adverse consequences 
        for border communities along both the northern and southern borders of 
        the United States;
Whereas the United States recently enacted legislation implementing the North 
        American Free Trade Agreement and has taken steps to liberalize trade 
        and to facilitate the free flow of goods and services throughout North 
        America;
Whereas the imposition of any such fees will hinder expanding commerce among the 
        United States, Canada, and Mexico;
Whereas, according to an estimate made by the Immigration and Naturalization 
        Service, 70 percent of border crossings are made by those who cross over 
        100 times per year, and thus the imposition of any such fees would be, 
        in actuality, an unreasonable and unfair regional tax on border crossing 
        communities;
Whereas those who live in border communities often have little choice over 
        whether to cross the border due to obligations to their employers and 
        family;
Whereas many border States, which in some instances send most of their exports 
        to Canada and Mexico, will suffer discriminatory economic burdens 
        resulting from the imposition of such a fee; and
Whereas the fee is not supported by the Governments of Mexico and Canada and 
        their people, and therefore will likely respond with the imposition of a 
        retaliatory land border fee of their own: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that cross-border entry fees on 
vehicles or pedestrians seeking to enter the United States from Canada 
or Mexico, such as those proposed in immigration reform legislation in 
the Senate (S. 269 of the 104th Congress), are economically unsound and 
are likely to result in retaliatory fees by the Canadian and Mexican 
Governments, and therefore such fees should not be imposed by the 
United States Government.
                                 <all>