[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 171 (Tuesday, November 6, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S13945]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       WILD HORSE BORDER CROSSING

  Mr. TESTER. With that, Madam President, I want to announce that 
yesterday I introduced a piece of legislation that will establish a 24-
hour port of entry at the Port of Wild Horse, which is north of Havre, 
MT.
  This legislation will establish this 24-hour port on the Montana-
Alberta border. American trade with Alberta is growing at a rapid rate. 
Excluding pipeline shipments, Alberta's exports to the United States 
have grown 86 percent over the last decade. America's exports to 
Alberta have increased 75 percent. So it is a good deal in both 
directions.
  The United States now sells more than $12.5 billion worth of goods to 
Alberta, most of which moves by truck through just five border 
crossings--only one of which is open 24 hours a day.
  Commerce between the United States and Alberta is expected to 
increase. The Canadian development of the Alberta oil sands region 
means the United States is sending more heavy machinery north of the 
border. That is traffic which must move by truck. But today, truck 
traffic from Texas and other main shippers of these products must go 
hundreds of miles out of the way to reach the oil sands region. 
According to one Canadian study, an additional $4 billion worth of 
goods will be needed annually as the oil sands are developed in 
Alberta. This represents more than 40,000 truckloads of goods each 
year.
  If all these trucks--as well as the 160,000 trucks that currently 
pass through our 24-hour port of Sweetgrass--were forced to move 
through the one existing 24-hour border crossing, the result would be 
an average of 480 trucks crossing it every day of each year. There is 
little doubt that such a pace would be both economically insufficient 
and unsustainable for our security needs. It would be faster and more 
economical for many of these products to move to the oil sands area 
through an eastern Alberta crossing, such as a crossing north of Havre 
at Wild Horse, and that is exactly what this legislation will do.
  The State of Montana and the Provincial Government of Alberta have 
both passed resolutions calling for an upgrade to the border crossing 
at Wild Horse. Over the next few months, Senator Baucus and I will work 
with our colleagues and with Customs and Border Protection to determine 
how best to accomplish this goal.
  I understand that CBP faces numerous staffing challenges in order to 
meet this proposal. I have tried in my short time in the Senate to 
highlight and address these challenges. But the cost of ignoring 
economic growth in Alberta and the border crossing needs in that region 
would be harmful to Montana's economy and to our Nation's economy. For 
that reason, I am pleased to have offered this bill.
  Madam President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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