Ed Pastor: “I rise in support of H.R. 3023 and I want to personally thank Chairman Young and Chairman Doolittle, and Ranking Member…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 3023 and I want to personally thank Chairman Young and Chairman Doolittle, and Ranking Member Miller and Ranking Member Dooley for there cooperation and persistence in moving this legislation so quickly. I also want to thank the Cities of Somerton, San Luis, and Yuma, the Cocopah Indian Nation, and the Bureau of Reclamation. Without the cooperation of all, we would not be considering this legislation today. H.R. 3023 is critical to the continued economic development of Yuma, Arizona. It is relatively simple legislation, but it is a tremendous and important step toward relieving congestion at one of the busiest border crossings in our nation. It would convey a portion of land, approximately 330 acres, to the Greater Yuma Port Authority for the construction and operation of an International Port of Entry. Since the early 1990s, the Port of Entry in Yuma County, Arizona began to experience serious delays, particularly with commercial traffic. The current Port is located directly in the heart of the City of San Luis, just south of downtown Yuma. Delays continued to grow over the years, with vehicles backing up on both sides of the border. Then, of course, with the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, the traffic has since become such that individuals are having to wait anywhere from two to four hours to make the crossing. This is particularly true in the case of commercial vehicles.”