Napolitano: "Strong case" made for pre-clearance at the Peace Bridge
WASHINGTON -- Two border crossings will be chosen as pilot projects where U.S-bound cargo will be cleared on the Canadian side, and "a strong case" has been made for the Peace Bridge to be one of those pilot projects.
That's the message Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano delivered Wednesday in response to questions from Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, at a House Homeland Security hearing. Previous expectations had been that there would be just one such pilot project.
"I think we envision two, not just one locale" for the pre-clearance pilot projects called for under the U.S.-Canada "Beyond the Border" deal, Napolitano said. "And a strong case has been made for the Peace Bridge, but no final decisions have been reached yet."
Higgins continued building that strong case at the hearing.
"That's a very, very important border crossing at the Peace Bridge for commerce, for our shared communities in the U.S. and Canada, and I just wanted to urge you in the strongest possible terms to consider the Peace Bridge for that pilot project. It's very important," Higgins said.
-- Jerry Zremski
