pA bipartisan bill to expedite cross-border travel between the United States and Canada received a blessing from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a joint press conference with President Barack Obama Thursday./ppThe bill, titled the Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act of 2016, was introduced by U.S. Rep. Elise M. Stefanik, R-Willsboro and U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. The legislation expands U.S. jurisdiction over American Customs and Border Protection personnel in Canada. Americans working at pre-clearance areas in Canada would therefore be subject to U.S. law, and they would be helping to pre-clear passengers on the Amtrak line between Montreal and New York City. Passengers who currently use the line normally have to wait as long as an hour to be cleared before crossing the border. /ppMs. Stefanik said Mr. Trudeau’s endorsement is good news for the bill moving forward./pp“The north country is heavily impacted by U.S.-Canadian relations through travel, commerce and border security,” Ms. Stefanik said in a statement. “We must continue to work to solidify and move forward the agreement between the U.S. and Canada, which was reached nearly a year ago, and I am proud to be a lead sponsor of the bipartisan, bicameral legislation to do this in Congress.”/ppGary S. DeYoung, executive director of the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council, said the bill opens up a concept that could be expanded to land borders across the north country, which would speed up the clearance process for tour buses. /pp“It’s one more step down the road of getting some of these policies in place that would make (travel) more fluid,” Mr. DeYoung said./ppHe added that the concept could also be applied to cruise ships, which often have to wait in port for an hour while the ship is cleared./ppState Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, said long wait times during travel on both sides of the border is a deterrence, and she said she’s pleased to see Mr. Trudeau support the bill for expedited clearance. /pp“This in turn would help boost the economies of communities along the St. Lawrence River, in Watertown and all along the border,” Sen. Ritchie said. /ppThe bill is the most recent effort to enhance Canadian border crossing in upstate New York. Upgrades to Alexandria Bay’s Port of Entry are slated to soon begin construction thanks to $105 million set aside in this year’s federal budget. The funding will go toward a handful of additions including inspection lanes, a commercial inspection warehouse, an impound lot and a new veterinary building. /p
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