WASHINGTON D.C. (KVOA) - Rep. Kirkpatrick and her colleagues sent a letter to House and Senate leadership emphasizing the need to include $2.8 billion for land ports of entry (LPOE) modernization in the FY2021 appropriations funding bill, according to a news release put out by Kirkpatrick’s team.
In July, Rep. Kirkpatrick was successful in securing funding for Land Ports of Entry projects within the 2021 Fiscal budget, which passed the House in the summer and made its way to budget negotiations in the Senate, according to the release.
“I have toured our Southern Arizona ports – it is clear they are no longer suitable for the high volume of traffic that flows through them every day,” said Rep. Kirkpatrick. “Between commercial trade, cross-border tourism and economic activity, and CBP monitoring, it is clear we desperately need modernized ports, especially in Douglas. Securing the funding needed to modernize Arizona’s land ports of entry has been my top priority since the start of the appropriations process, and I will continue fighting until we see it through.”
“LPOEs are critical to national security and local economies,” Rep. Kirkpatrick added. “The vast majority of trade with Mexico and Canada – two of the nation’s three largest trading partners – flows through LPOEs, which facilitate vital economic activity while providing Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) the facilities and tools necessary to regulate flow in and out of our country.”
According to the release, many LPOEs have aged and are no longer suitable to process the volume of traffic that flows through them every day. Three of the fifteen LPOEs on the Financial Services and General Government’s priority list are in Arizona: the San Luis Port of Entry and the commercial and non-commercial ports in Douglas.
“I was able to make strides in committee and get the funding passed in the House budget — but now it’s time to carry out the mission through the end. I am fighting tooth and nail to get the funding LPOEs need all the way through and included in the final FY2021 budget,” explained Rep Kirkpatrick.
“While we are aware of budget limitations, we believe that modernizing LPOEs should be a top priority,” the Representatives wrote in their letter. “With modernized LPOEs, we will increase economic activity and development while enhancing border and national security. As such, we respectfully request that you work to include the House-passed language for LPOEs and support funding of $2.8 billion for this activity in the FY 2021 omnibus appropriations bill.”
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December 04, 2020 at 12:40AM
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Rep. Kirkpatrick asking Congress for Land Ports of Entry Funding in Final FY2021 - KVOA Tucson News
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