Debbie Dingell: “I represent Michigan, the State with three of the busiest northern border crossings in the United States. Our citizens…”

“I represent Michigan, the State with three of the busiest northern border crossings in the United States. Our citizens have long been accustomed to an open border in which citizens on both sides were able to commute to jobs, visit families, do shopping and visiting across international borders. With the events of September 11, 2001, our borders were shut. Michigan's economy literally ground to a halt. Just in time deliveries to Michigan factories and industries were stopped at the border. The new security realities threaten to idle factories and to lay off workers. This bill goes a long way to making sure that we avoid that situation, and it will also enable thousands of our citizens on both sides of the border, Michiganders and Canadians, the freedom to travel when they need to and in ways to which they have grown accustomed. The US-VISIT program is properly funded, more inspectors will be hired for the border. New technologies will be deployed to help ease the traffic and speed processing.”