AJR 4, as introduced, Hueso. The United States-Mexico border.
This measure would urge the federal government, including the Department of Homeland Security and the General Services Administration, to fund necessary improvements at the San Ysidro and Calexico Ports of Entry.
Fiscal committee: no.
P1 1WHEREAS, The United States, Canada, and Mexico signed the
2North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1993 to foster
3trade among the three countries, and improve global
4competitiveness; and
5WHEREAS, Trade between the United States and Mexico has
6more than quintupled since the implementation of NAFTA, totaling
7$500 billion in bilateral trade in 2011; and
8WHEREAS, Mexico continues to be California’s number one
9export market with $25.8 billion in goods exported to Mexico in
102011, accounting for 16 percent of all California exports; and
11WHEREAS, Ninety-nine percent of trade between California
12and Mexico is carried by trucks; and
13WHEREAS, The SANDAG 2050 Comprehensive Freight
14Gateway Study projects that the nearly two million trucks that
P2 1crossed the California-Mexico border in 2007 will increase to
2nearly five million trucks in 2050. In 2011, over $33.5 billion in
3goods moved between Mexico and the United States at the Otay
4Mesa Port of Entry and at the Tecate Port of Entry; and
5WHEREAS, The San Diego and Imperial Counties’ border
6traffic congestion and delays cost the U.S. and Mexican economies
7an estimated $8.63 billion in gross output and more than 73,900
8jobs in 2007; and
9WHEREAS, New land port of entry and improvement projects
10are under federal jurisdiction with significant influence over local
11communities; and
12WHEREAS, The San Ysidro-Puerta Mexico Land Port of Entry
13is the busiest port of entry between the United States and Mexico
14and is undergoing a major reconfiguration and expansion project;
15and
16WHEREAS, The Otay Mesa-Mesa de Otay Land Port of Entry
17has plans for the expansion and modernization of passenger and
18commercial inspection facilities; and
19WHEREAS, The Calexico West Port of Entry also has plans to
20renovate and expand the facility to process and expand its operation
21for pedestrians and automobiles; and
22WHEREAS, The collaboration between federal, state, and local
23agencies is essential for the development of border infrastructure
24projects and security; and
25WHEREAS, The General Accountability Office and the
26Department of Homeland Security estimate that $6 billion in border
27infrastructure is needed to fulfill their mission of preventing
28unlawful entry and smuggling while facilitating legitimate trade
29and tourism; and
30WHEREAS, The need for improved border capacity and
31efficiency comes at a time when traditional federal funding is
32scarce and increasingly difficult to obtain; and
33WHEREAS, Since February 2009, Congress and the Obama
34administration have not funded border infrastructure projects; and
35WHEREAS, The San Ysidro project has a stated funding gap
36of $285 million and the Calexico project needs $318 million to
37complete construction; and
38WHEREAS, Various agencies of the United States, including
39the Department of Homeland Security and the General Services
40Administration, should work with Congress to provide funding to
P3 1support these border infrastructure investments; now, therefore,
2be it
3Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
4California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the federal
5government, including the Department of Homeland Security and
6the General Services Administration, to fund necessary
7improvements at the San Ysidro and Calexico Ports of Entry; and
8be it further
9Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
10of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
11States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the
12Majority Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and
13Representative from California in the Congress of the United
14States.
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