NY Representatives Ask President to Restart Shared Border Management Negotiations with Canada
In anticipation of President Obama's trip to Canada on February 19, 2009, New York Representatives Slaughter and McHugh sent President Obama a letter requesting that the U.S. restart Shared Border Management (SBM) negotiations with Canada.
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U.S. and Canada Agreed in 2004 to Issue Framework for SBM Pilot
In 2004, as part of the Smart Border Declaration1, the U.S. and Canada agreed to issue a framework to put land pre-clearance in place at the Peace Bridge. The pre-clearance pilot was called SBM and was to involve the relocation of all U.S. primary and secondary border operations for both commercial and passenger traffic from Buffalo, NY to Fort Erie, Canada. A reciprocal relationship was to take place in Alexandria Bay.
SBM Negotiations Were Ended by U.S. in 2007
In 2007, after months of SBM negotiations, Secretary of Homeland Security Chertoff announced that he was unilaterally withdrawing from the negotiations. Despite the urgings of Representatives Slaughter and McHugh, along with many of their colleagues in the Northern Border Caucus, to reengage in discussions, the talks remain dead.
The Representatives are now urging President Obama and Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano to reengage the Canadian government in negotiations.
1In December 2001, in order to address the emerging security and traffic issues arising from 9/11, Canada and the U.S. agreed to the Smart Border Declaration. See ITT's Online Archives or 12/17/01 news, 01121710, for BP summary of the signing of the U.S.-Canada Shared Border Accord.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 10/20/04 news, 04102010, for BP summary of progress made on Shared Border Action Plan, including plans for shared border management.
Letter to President Obama (dated 02/05/09) available at http://mchugh.house.gov/News/DocumentPrint.aspx?DocumentID=110323.