[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1220]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         SECURE OUR BORDER ACT WILL COMPOUND SECURITY CONCERNS

  (Mr. HIGGINS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, cancellation of this week's vote of the 
Secure Our Border Act is a relief for northern border communities, 
including my western New York district.
  This legislation would require a biometric exit system at every 
border crossing which would duplicate inspections and significantly 
slow the flow of people and goods across the northern border.
  The Beyond the Border agreement already allows for exit data to be 
shared between Canadian and U.S. officials; thus, the implementation of 
this system at the northern border would be redundant at least.
  Already congested border crossings, such as the Peace Bridge in 
western New York, would see longer delays which would ultimately create 
disastrous economic effects and compound security concerns. A Peace 
Bridge authority official said that implementation of this program 
would effectively shut down the northern border.
  Investments in personnel and infrastructure should be made along our 
borders, but we must take into consideration the unique needs of 
northern and southern border communities and protect the strong 
economic relationship that is essential to the United States and 
Canadian economies.

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