January 27, 2017
On January 23, Chamber President & CEO Jerry Sanders was invited by Congressmember Scott Peters to be one of ten individuals to testify at a meeting of the Congressional Border Caucus in Washington, D.C. The bipartisan hearing brought local perspectives from across the nation to counter the proposals of the Trump administration that threaten border commerce.
During the hearing, both Congressmember Peters and Jerry Sanders explained that San Diego views the the border region and its relationship with Mexico as an opportunity, not as a threat. Both representatives shared several approaches to maintain national security while also spurring economic vitality in local communities.
“Our border infrastructure needs to become more of a priority including investments in technology and staffing of customs agents to achieve greater efficiencies and thereby ensure security. We continue to have hundreds of officer vacancies which is why we need to streamline the CBP hiring process to reduce the time it takes to get an officer to the front line…
We also need a commitment and willingness to fund border infrastructure through mechanisms such as public private partnerships such as the future Otay II border crossing which will be funded by users through tolls, and our very own Cross-Border Xpress, the first-ever cross-border pedestrian bridge linking the U.S. to Tijuana’s International airport.
It is a great example of a border crossing spearheaded by private investment that enhances national security through its efficiency and is also a profitable business contributing to economic vitality.”
– Jerry Sanders, President & CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
Related articles:
- Sanders Tells Congress: ‘An Efficient Border is a Safe Border’ – San Diego Business Journal
- Rep. Scott Peters, San Diego Chamber of Commerce Highlight Local Border Economy in Washington – United States Congressman Scott Peters, 52nd District of California
- CW 6 Coverage of Scott speaking at the Border Caucus Press Conference – Congressman Scott Peters (YouTube)