Annie Kuster: “I thank the gentlewoman from Texas, and I thank the chair, Mr. Goodlatte. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from Texas, and I thank the chair, Mr. Goodlatte. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 6431, the Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act of 2016. In my home State of New Hampshire, Granite Staters understand the special relationship that Americans have with Canada. For families in the north country and my district, many of their relatives live just across the border in Quebec, and many of our businesses rely on cross- border trade to grow and expand their operations. According to the State Department, the United States and Canada share the single longest international border in the world and trade over $1.8 billion every day in goods and services, supporting millions of jobs in the U.S. Furthermore, approximately 380,000 people cross our border every day, and can do so safely because of the close coordination between U.S. and Canadian border security officials. Many of these travelers save time by utilizing preclearance facilities that are operated by Customs and Border Protection officials at nine different Canadian airports. Preclearance has numerous security, travel, and trade benefits that present the United States and Canada with a win-win opportunity. First and foremost, preclearance enhances our national security efforts by detecting threats early before they reach U.S. soil.…”