Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Today we consider on suspension H.R. 6431, the Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act of 2016. The bill's origin stems from an international agreement entered into between Canada and the United States in March 2015, known as the agreement on Land, Rail, Marine, and Air Transport Preclearance. This agreement established an immigration and trade preclearance system to strengthen economic competitiveness and national security.

Preclearance facilities permit travelers to pass through U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspections at a particular foreign port prior to entering the United States. This process expedites a traveler's arrival in the U.S., while also protecting national security by preventing from entry those individuals deemed a threat.

CBP officers currently conduct preclearance operations at airports around the world, including various Canadian airports, marine ports, and a rail station in British Columbia.

H.R. 6431 helps implement the foregoing agreement by ensuring that U.S. Government personnel who are stationed in Canada, particularly CBP preclearance officers, may be held accountable in U.S. courts if they commit a crime while performing their official duties, assuming their actions would constitute a crime, if committed in the United States.

Strengthening our Nation's relationship with our northern neighbor is important for both our economy and national security. H.R. 6431 helps pave the way for increased cooperation with Canada to spur economic growth here at home and prevent those who shouldn't be coming to the United States from arriving in the first place.

I want to thank Representatives Kuster and Stefanik for their work on this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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