In this portion of the event, senator john cornyn of texas spoke about border security, crossborder trade, and the u. S. Mexico trade agreement. This is 30 minutes. Me know when it is time to go. Good morning. So, welcome to the Wilson Center. We are going to get started today. I am chris wilson, the Deputy Director of the new Mexico Institute here and i lead our work on the u. S. Mexico border along with other things. We are pleased to be partnering with the Border Trade Alliance again on our sixth annual building competitive u. S. Mexico border,. The u. S. Mexico border especially when viewed for washington or on the National News media is understood principally as a risk. Entranceal enters. 4 iteris the task, a risk for jump trafficking, a risk of unauthorized immigration, and it is in a sense all of those things. It does represent some risk. The u. S. Mexico border is absolutely an integral part of our Homeland Defense system as well as good policing and plenty of other pieces of that system. But the border is so much more than that. The border is much more than a risk to me represent an opportunity. Already the four u. S. And six mexican states present the fourth largest economy in the world. Already we have about half a trillion dollars of u. S. Mexican trade that crosses the border each year. We have a mix in that special border region of the competitive advantages of the u. S. And mexico that make it an especially attractive place for investment and production as part of the north American Manufacturing platform. The border region has traditionally been seen as the edge of the United States. In many ways a sort of a wild frontier. In many ways it has for a long time already become the heart and the center of the north american regional economy. And that is what we are trying to highlight by having an event like this and doing it every year. We are trying to make sure the national conversation, the conversation in washington about the border, has so many people who see it up close and personal and know there is so much opportunity in the border, and yes, some risks, but we can manage those things with smart policy ideas to enhance security and competitiveness at the same time. So i want to thank the Border Trade Alliance. Forthe Board Members partnering with us on this again. I would like to thank our sponsors, Ct Strategies and ibt bank for helping to make this event possible. I would like to recognize any special guests in the audience. Board and ambassadors are here. A mexican and death are is coming upstairs as we speak. Honoredsay we are very senator cornyn has been a long friend of this conference and has participated in it before of the Border Trade Alliance in the Wilson Center. He was here just a couple months ago to talk about security cooperation. A fascinating cooperation with our director. Shes in boston today but sends her regards. She says she is still working to get you that credential. We are delighted to have someone like you here who has truly demonstrated leadership on u. S. Mexico relations, on building a competitive border, on all these things we are here to focus on and talk about today. Thank you very much. [applause] good morning. It is good to be back at the Wilson Center. I was talkingago about security challenges. And it seems like when we talk about the border, that seems to dominate our conversations. But i am here to talk about not just that. But as paul harvey, the famous radio personality used to say, the rest of the story. We know the Security Issues certainly steal the headlines. But as a texan, this is personal because of course our relationship with mexico, as i like to say, we are like an old married couple. We cannot get divorced. We have to make it work, and we do that every day to our mutual benefit. So i have long believed in the importance of the strong trading relationship with our southern neighbor because i know its positive impact on our state and also the nation. Nafta and are trading relationship with north america, canada and mexico is credited with supporting about 5 million by nationals just trade with mexico and another 8 million with canada. Total goods and Services Trade total more than 670 billion last year alone. Most of it is because of our proximity between the state of texas and mexico. Mexico is far and away texas top trading partner. In 2018 texas exported 110 bil lion in goods to mexico and imported more than 107 billion from that country. That trade feeds our local communities, our state and national economy. It is critical to the supply chain for the Manufacturing Industry that depends on that by national trade. And i think we ought to be looking at ways to do more business, not less business with mexico. So i appreciate the chance to talk to you about a few of those things today. I want to thank my friends at the Border Trade Alliance and here at the Wilson Center for hosting us. I had a chance to visit with some of you yesterday, so it is good to see you again. Is right now the thing that dominating the headlines is a humanitarian crisis that has occurred at the border. That phrase was first coined in 2014 by president barack obama who called the surge of migration come across the border a humanitarian and security crisis. And it has gotten worse, unfortunately, through a confluence of circumstances. People were44,000 detained at the southern border. But what is so different is people are simply turning themselves in, because frankly, the coyotes have figured out american law and realized that if you bring unaccompanied children or send unaccompanied children or bring families, that they will successfully navigate up immigration laws and end being able to stay in the u. S. Because they simply overwhelmed our capacity to deal with the issue. So i would not be surprised until some of the more recent developments we have seen for that number to get even bigger. It was the third month and a route that the number of individuals who came across the border were six figures. And it is a trend we have not experienced since 2006 when the yearly total top to more than one million. As you know there is essentially no net migration from mexico. This is primarily a Central American phenomenon. Our rio grande Border Patrol tells me last year alone late attained people from 140 different countries. To the well known smuggling organizations who care nothing about the people. They view them merely as a commodity. Of course many of these community criminal organizations are in it for the money and nothing else. Congress and the administration have grappled with a way to manage this massive influx of migrants and it is caused some consternation about legal trade and travel and created a lot of challenges. For one thing because the numbers have simply overwhelmed our capacity, the ports of entry are now primarily ways that children and family are cared for as they are processed through our system. And of course customs and Border Protection officials are now being did deployed to hand out juice boxes and diapers as opposed to in commerce across the border. I understand things have gotten a little better since we have surged additional officials to those ports, but what that means is we are taking them from other places around the country and we are starting to hear from some of our friends on the northern border at airports around the theyry and elsewhere that are experiencing some delays and problems as a result of this reallocation of resources. Timeember there was a one when i had this conversation with President Trump said we are going to shut down the border. And i called the president and i said mr. President , that is going to have a lot of unintended consequences. Please, let us come back to you with more targeted ways to get peoples attention. Of course the most important thing to be done is that congress could do its job and act. Indeed, i reached out to my friend and frequent partner on trade and border issues, a democrat from laredo, texas. I call henry one of the last of the blue dog democrats. He is a reasonable, rational, good, patriotic american and a great texan who i have worked with on a number of these issues. We introduce legislation called the humane act to deal with some of these legal loopholes being exploited by the human smugglers to move people into the United States. The other alternative is what the president resorted to. When congress would not act, he threatened additional tariffs on mexico. That thehappy relationship with mexico and the United States is such that they were able to negotiate a result which involves mexico signing more of its National Guard the Southern National border. Traditionally this has been viewed as an american problem and mexico has not viewed this as their problem, much as they have the drug problem where they view this as being an american problem. If there is not a demand, people would not be selling drugs, which seems obvious but it is important nonetheless. Now i think mexico views this as a shared problem and challenge, something we need to work on together. I hope it is with that attitude in mind we will continue to do so. But the most important legislative thing beacon do yonder dealing with this broken asylum system that henry and i are trying to work on is make sure the usmca is confirmed. Obviously mexico has taken the first step. This is very encouraging. And i know all of you have filed this very, very followed this very closely. There is no doubt in my mind nafta has been a net benefit to the u. S. , particularly texas. I know those are controversial words in some circles but i believe it is true and i believe you can demonstrate it in dollars and cents. When i first learned the administration was eyeing after for changes, i talked to ambassador lighthizer and encouraged him to fix it, not nix it. You remember there was talk about terminating after nafta then there were questions about whether the president had the authority to do it. I came down on the side that he could not. Enablingpassed laws laws that it could not be unilaterally withdrawn by the president. I am glad we did not have to confront that issue. That would have contributed more chaos and uncertainty where we need to have less chaos and more certain. More certainty. Obviously nafta stand a little is the and the truth energy sector, in particular the digital economy, were things that were not as influential in our shared economy back when nafta is first passed, as they are today. After a long year of negotiation by our governments i was glad that this rebranded agreement was signed by the head of all three countries in november. A couple months ago the International Trade commission publicly released its analysis of the Economic Impact of the agreement and showed its positive impacts. Within sixcluded years of going into effect, the usmca will raise u. S. Gross illionic product by 68 b and lead to the creation of 176,000 new jobs. We can also expect a more than 35 billion increase in exports and imports. That is great news for american workers, farmers, ranchers and businesses that will reap the benefits of this agreement and im eager to get moving on the next step, which is congressional consideration. Congressly received recently received something called the statement of a ministry of action from the trump administration. That was three weeks ago. Which in governmentspeak was for the implementing legislation should be coming soon. So we are anxiously awaiting the next step which is enabling legislation to come to us. As you know, once it does come to congress, under trade promotion authority, congress cannot amend it. So it is not the usual legislative process where people are going to be offering amendments and voting those up or down. Its an up or down vote on the entire agreement. So it is any agreement with any negotiations to take place before the enabling legislation comes. And of course i am encouraged by speaker pelosis being receptive to passing the usmca. I know she wants to make sure the house does its Due Diligence. It is my understanding she has appointed a team of legislators who will primarily speak for the house in terms of those negotiations. But i am anxious for that to take place soon. Thenouse will vote first, given the bills revenue implications, that it will come to the senate. We will consider it in the Senate Finance commands Financial Committee and then the full senate will vote. In terms of when you can expect this to happen, that is in the hands of the administration. We can get the implement and bill as early as july 30, which would start a ninetyday shot clock, or come thereafter. My personal preference, and i would encourage you to encourage the administration and the house to not let this linger any longer than necessary. The farther this gets into the reelection cycle, the more this becomes politicized by the president ial campaign and other campaigns. I think that would be to the detriment of considering the usmca and getting it passed. On Tuesday Morning ambassador lighthizer and testified. I asked him when does the Administration Plan to submit the implementing bill to congress. He was studiously vague. He noted his interest in setting the implementing bill and noted the negotiations with House Democrats to advance the agreement but he did not give me a time. And i do not blame him but i wanted to ask the question anyway, to encourage him and encourage people watching this to get the job done. Because historically speaking the closer we get to the election, the more challenging it is to get anything past, particularly in a divided congress. So i hope we get this moving along soon. Probably one of the most anticipated changes in the trade world that we are actually working on infrastructure and staffing at ports of entry, both on the southern border and elsewhere. Air, landome to 29 and sea ports of entry, more than any other state, and we rely on the men and women who serve to protect us from dangerous and illicit goods and facilitate illegitimate trade and travel. And recent jobs, it has gotten more difficult. Because of the skyrocketing numbers of people crossing the border, customs and Border Protection has been forced to reassign customs officers from their routine duties. Some of the busiest texas ports like l Tasso El Paso and laredo have bore the brunt. With fewer customs officers on the job we have seen lengthy delays along check ports. Paso,ght across from el truckers reported sleeping in their vehicles overnight so they would not lose their place in line. I was told by one of the Car Manufacturers that they literally had to take into chartering airplanes to fly from warez to el paso. About an 11 minute flight. Just to bypass the congestion at the ports of entry. Those delays reaches far beyond my state. It could be felt by the national economy, particularly in manufacturing and agriculture. With an estimated shortage of almost 4000 cvp officers nationwide with many being reassigned to deal with the current crisis, the impact on the ports will get nothing but worse, especially during the busy summer months. To try and help address on an interim basis some staffing shortages i introduced a piece of legislation with senator gary peters of michigan called the securing american ports of entry act of 2019. It would require an additional 600 cvp officers until the agencys staffing needs are met. Hiring authorizes support staff and technicians to perform nonLaw Enforcement functions, allowing officers to focus on Law Enforcement priorities. It would also require reporting on Infrastructure Improvements that would enhance our screening capabilities. Entirely its an feasible goal to meet and would ensure you have the staffing, resources and infrastructure needed to keep our ports running safely. The bill was passed unanimously yesterday by the Homeland Security committee in the senate and i hope we can bring it up for full consideration by the senate soon. And moreusmca effective and efficient ports are critical to maintaining a competitive and smart border. But without action to get to the bottom of what has led to many of the challenges, we will continue to find ourselves in a battle of wills, and a battle of physical versus economic security. My point is here today we do not have to pick between those. We can have both and we need to focus on both, physical and economic security. It is not a zerosum game. By making targeted reforms we can address the flow of migrants coming across the border without compromising our economic security. I have the privilege of sharing the board on immigration and recently heard from a Border Patrol chief. He compared the Current Situation to holding a bucket under the faucet. He said it doesnt matter how many buckets you have if you cannot turn off the spigot. That is why i had introduce the legislation i mentioned earlier to you, the humane act. The main problems that need to be addressed by the humane act are the fact that the socalled howas agreement prescribes on a Company Children should be handled at the border. Obviously we want to make sure we treat all those children any compassionate and humane way. But the agreement had also been extended in a way that made it almost impossible to deta