[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 26, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SUPPORT FOR CUSTOMS OPERATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SILVESTRE REYES

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 26, 1999

  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I enter into the Congressional Record a 
request made by the Texas State Legislature asking that Members of 
Congress provide funding for infrastructure improvements, more customs 
inspection lanes and customs officials, and a 24 hour customs operation 
at border crossing between Texas and Mexico.
  Bottlenecks at customs inspection lanes have contributed to traffic 
congestion at Texas-Mexico border crossing areas slowing the flow of 
commerce and detracting from the economic potential of the North 
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
  Smuggling of drugs inside truck parts and cargo containers compounds 
the problem, necessitating lengthy vehicle searches that put federal 
customs officials in a crossfire between their mandate to speed the 
movement of goods and their mandate to reduce the flow of illegal 
substances.
  At the state level, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts has 
released a report titled Bordering the Future, recommending among other 
items that U.S. customs inspection facilities at major international 
border crossings stay open around the clock. At the federal level, the 
U.S. General Accounting Office is conducting a similar study of border 
commerce and NAFTA issues, and the U.S. Customs Service is working with 
a private trade entity to review and analyze the relationship between 
its inspector numbers and its inspection workload.
  Efficiency in the flow of NAFTA commerce requires two federal 
customs-related funding commitments: (1) improved infrastructure, 
including additional customs inspection lanes; and (2) a concurrent 
expansion in customs personnel and customs operating hours.
  Section 119 of the Federal Transportation Act for the 21st Century 
(TEA-21), creating the Coordinated Border infrastructure program, 
serves as a funding source for border area infrastructure improvements 
and regulatory enhancements.
  Domestic profits and income increases in tandem with the exports and 
imports, generating federal revenue, some portion of which deserves 
channeling into the customs activity that supports increased 
international trade.
  Texas legislators and businesses, being close to the situation 
geographically, are acutely aware of the fixes and upgrades that 
require attention if NAFTA prosperity is truly to live up to the 
expectations of this state and nation.

                          ____________________