Burgess Owens: “I want to thank Chairman Conyers and Chairman Thompson for their leadership and for bringing H.R. 4748 to the floor. I…”

“I want to thank Chairman Conyers and Chairman Thompson for their leadership and for bringing H.R. 4748 to the floor. I do live along the Canadian border, and much of my district contains a broad swath of Indian reservation and much of the timber lands that were described by my colleague from California. Our northern border with Canada spans over 4,000 miles, the longest open border in the world. The livelihoods of thousands of workers and their families in Upstate New York depend on a stable trading relationship with our northern neighbor. In my district alone, we saw more than $677 million worth of goods exported to Canada in 2008. Nearly 20,000 jobs depend on this trading relationship. Since coming into office in November, I have met with officials from local and Federal law enforcement, members of the trade community, and small business owners from my district. Immediately before coming to the floor, I was with a number of ICE agents who were discussing this very problem. One issue that nearly every one of them has mentioned to me is the importance of a safe and secure northern border that can ensure the movement of people and goods.”