Candidate Notes on 99-MGC1

99-MGC1 on Oct 14, 1999

• WHEREAS, the United States and Canada share the longest undefended border in the world; and
• WHEREAS, the United States and Canada have the largest bilateral trade relationship in the world, exceeding $1 billion every day; and
• WHEREAS, the rate of cross-border traffic is steadily increasing, with billions of dollars worth of goods and tens of millions of American and Canadian citizens crossing the land border each year; and
• WHEREAS, Section 110 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 requires the U.S. Attorney General to develop an automated entry-exit control system to register “all aliens” entering and departing the United States; and

WHEREAS, this system will place an unmanageable requirement on border-crossing services, impose serious delays at the Canada-U.S. land border and result in unintended negative consequences for international trade, tourism, and the economies in our region; and

WHEREAS, reports about serious congestion at the Canada-U.S. border have generated concern and uncertainty in the business community; and

WHEREAS, the United States Senate has passed the Commerce-State-Justice Appropriations Bill and State Department Reauthorization legislation which repeal the entry-exit control system required by Section 110; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Midwestern Governors’ Conference calls on Congress and the President to repeal Section 110 because of the its adverse impact on legitimate cross border traffic at land border points of entry.

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