{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140220234035/http://vela.house.gov/index.php/2013-07-18-16-34-07/press-releases/201-press-release-congressman-vela-supports-partnership-between-cbp-and-border-trade-alliance-to-expand-services", "PRESS RELEASE: Congressman Vela Supports Partnership Between CBP and Border Trade Alliance to Expand Services", "2013-12-20", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "TX", "Filemon Vela", "V000132", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "PRESS RELEASE: Congressman Vela Supports Partnership Between CBP and Border Trade Alliance to Expand Services\t\t \n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\tFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0PRESS CONTACT:\n\n\tDecember 20, 2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Brenda Lopez \u00a0 956.544.8352\n\n\t\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\n\tPRESS RELEASE:\u00a0Congressman Vela Supports Partnership Between CBP and Border Trade Alliance to Expand Services\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\tWASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Congressman Filemon Vela (TX-34) supports the partnership between Customs Border Protection and Border Trade Alliance to finalize the agreements for five public-private partnerships.\u00a0 Cross-border trade and travel stakeholders gathered in Washington, D.C. at the headquarters of Customs and Border Protection for the official signing of five \u201creimbursable fee agreements\u201d between CBP and partners in the air and land environments.\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\tThe agreements were made possible by Section 560 of the Fiscal Year 2013 continuing resolution budget deal (H.R. 933), which passed in March. The agreements allow the winning projects to partner with CBP to improve staffing at the affected ports of entry.\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\tTwo proposals focused on improving port staffing levels that were submitted from U.S.-Mexico border communities were selected by CBP: one by the City of El Paso, and another by the South Texas Asset Consortium (STAC), a joint submission by South Texas port entities in Laredo, Rio Grande City, McAllen, Pharr and Cameron County. The City of El Paso and the STAC partners of the Starr-Camargo Bridge Co., City of McAllen, City of Pharr and Cameron County are all Border Trade Alliance members.\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\t\u201cToday marks a bold step towards improving operations at our nation\u2019s ports of entry,\u201d Border Trade Alliance President Noe Garcia said. \u201cWe look forward to these pilots demonstrating that CBP and partners at the local level can craft innovative solutions for facilitating legitimate trade and travel through improved staffing levels. This is a significant achievement for a trade community that has been clamoring for a new way of doing business on the border. We want to thank Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Rep. Filem\u00f3n Vela (D-Texas) and Rep. Beto O\u2019Rourke (D-Texas) for their support of these proposals.\u201d\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\t\u201cThese agreements take an innovative, regional approach to port management,\u201d STAC President and Starr-Camargo Bridge Co. President Sam F. Vale said. \u201cNow bridge owners and operators have a greater voice in how needed resources will be deployed to the ports of entry. On behalf of all the STAC participants, we look forward to working with CBP in implementing these pilot projects, which we believe will greatly enhance our region\u2019s economy and international trade competitiveness.\u201d\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\t\"The signing of these reimbursable fee agreements\u00a0is a recognition of the importance of Texas ports of entry to the national economy,\"\u00a0said\u00a0Representative Vela.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\"The South Texas Asset Consortium (STAC), which is comprised of the City of Laredo, Starr-Camargo International Bridge, the City of McAllen, the City of Pharr, and Cameron County\u00a0should be\u00a0commended\u00a0for finding innovative solutions to\u00a0reducing wait times and facilitating trade along our ports of entry. \u00a0Improving\u00a0port staffing levels is critical in order to increase U.S. trade with Mexico, which last year alone\u00a0reached $500 billion. \u00a0My office worked alongside STAC and the Border Trade Alliance to ensure that CBP understood the vital role Texas ports play in our regional and national economy.\"\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\t# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140220234035/http://vela.house.gov/index.php/2013-07-18-16-34-07/press-releases/201-press-release-congressman-vela-supports-partnership-between-cbp-and-border-trade-alliance-to-expand-services"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.2474751565605402, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}