CABC Urges Congress to Pass US-Canada Preclearance Bill During Lame-Duck Session
The Canadian American Business Council (CABC) on Oct. 25 urged U.S. House and Senate leaders from both parties to pass legislation during the lame-duck session that would fully implement the 2015 U.S.-Canadian Preclearance Agreement, the CABC said in a press…
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release (here). The March 2015 preclearance agreement authorizes officials from both countries to conduct customs, agriculture and immigration inspections on foreign soil, which is expected to reduce waits at the border, and boost security and trade, the CABC said. A bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers on March 1 introduced the Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act of 2016 that would give the U.S. jurisdiction over prosecutable incidents involving U.S. personnel in Canada, per the terms of the 2015 preclearance agreement (see 1603020015). The CABC noted that the Canadian Parliament is working on its own legislation while the U.S. bill sits idle. "The 2015 US-Canada Preclearance Agreement was an important step forward in expediting legitimate travel and commerce across the border," CABC senior adviser Maryscott Greenwood said. "Congress must now do its part and pass this bipartisan legislation to ensure that the agreement can be fully implemented.” The bills sit dormant in the House and Senate Judiciary committees. A House Judiciary Committee aide said the committee is examining the legislation, but offered no additional details. The office of Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who co-introduced the legislation, didn't comment.