[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  CAMINO REAL CORRIDOR AND COMMISSION

  (Mr. COLEMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to announce that I am introducing 
legislation to create the Camino Real Corridor and Commission.
  While the passage of NAFTA will no doubt affect the entire Nation, 
perhaps no area will witness greater changes than the Southwestern 
region along the Mexican border. Along this border, El Paso is the 
busiest point of entry for commercial trucks. Eighteen percent of 
United States imports from and 25 percent of United States exports to 
Mexico pass through the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez region each year.
  To ensure the smooth flow of this traffic, I am introducing 
legislation to create the Camino Real Corridor, which would be achieved 
through the enhancement of the trade route that today connects El Paso 
to Albuquerque to Denver, and of the border arterials that feed into 
this route.
  I am also proposing the creation of the Camino Real Corridor 
Commission. This board would be responsible for making recommendations 
to maximize effective utilization of the highways and border crossings 
of the corridor.
  We should not wait until our borders and our trade routes are 
overwhelmed before taking decisive action. Our infrastructure and our 
border enforcement agencies should keep pace with growing trade levels, 
and with the realities of increasing international interdependence. For 
this reason, the creation of the Camino Real Corridor and its 
accompanying commission deserves the support of my colleagues.

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