BTA Calls on Republican Governors to Work With Feds on Southern Border
The Border Trade Alliance encouraged Republican governors to work with the federal government to "pursue a border that is defined by security and efficient trade." The BTA, in a letter to Republican Governors Association Chairman Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee that was also sent to 24 other Republican governors, said it is specifically worried about "a federal-state standoff that risks disruptions to legitimate cross-border trade and travel."
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The BTA told Lee that it agreed that the "current administration" has had "many failures on the border." However, it said, closures of international bridges and ports of entry "cause significant harm to border communities, delay shipments, and increase costs for American consumers," and the alliance opposes such closures in all cases.
The BTA added that the talk of more border closures and "confrontations between law enforcement agencies diminishes the quality of life for border communities like Eagle Pass and erodes the economic competitiveness of the entire border region."
Mexico is the second-largest export market of the U.S, accounting for more than $325 billion in exports, with Texas being the leading state for exports, in large part due to the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, the BTA said. "We should demand a more secure border, but not at the expense of the mutually beneficial and job-creating U.S.-Mexico relationship," it said.
The letter was in response to a Republican Governors Association letter defending Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's "constitutional right to self-defense" in closing the Southern border. The BTA previously requested a meeting with Abbott to discuss the "quickly deteriorating situation at the Texas-Mexico border" (see 2401020036).
The Republican Governors Association didn't respond to our request for comment.