Austin News

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A bipartisan coalition of federal lawmakers representing Texas border communities, led by U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz, has sent a letter to President Joe Biden expressing frustration over the delayed issuance of presidential permits for key bridge projects between the United States and Mexico. The coalition is urging President Biden to swiftly approve these crucial Texas-Mexico bridge projects that will create jobs, improve supply chain resiliency, and promote economic growth.

The letter, signed by Sen. Cruz, Sen. John Cornyn, and U.S. Representatives Vicente Gonzalez, Henry Cuellar, and Monica De La Cruz, highlights the importance of these bridge projects for facilitating trade, travel, and tourism, and improving economic growth in the Texas border region. The lawmakers emphasize that the Senate and the House of Representatives have separately advanced bipartisan legislation to remove the unnecessary barriers for applicants, but they urge President Biden to use his existing authority to remove these barriers now and approve the projects.

The letter points out that these bridge projects meet the criteria set out in Executive Order 13867, as they will expand job-creating trade with Mexico and foster stronger cross-cultural relations. However, the permits for these projects have been needlessly delayed due to the requirement for a lengthy and costly National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessment. The lawmakers argue that this requirement is unnecessary and contradicts past precedent.

The coalition urges President Biden to remove the unnecessary requirement for a NEPA assessment before the State Department can make a recommendation. They also ask for the swift approval of these four critical Texas-Mexico bridge projects that will create jobs, improve supply chain resiliency, and promote economic growth. The letter suggests that the approvals could be conditioned on the completion of NEPA assessments prior to construction, as was done by the previous administration.

The lawmakers highlight the current practice of withholding a State Department recommendation until the completion of a lengthy environmental assessment, which creates significant project uncertainty and hinders economic opportunities. They emphasize that these delays not only affect Texas border communities but also impact all Americans.

The coalition assures President Biden of their readiness to work with him to make these projects a reality. They mention that bipartisan, bicameral efforts are already underway to advance legislation that would remove unnecessary barriers to applicants for bridge projects. The Senate National Defense Authorization Act bill includes language to remove the requirement for applicants to complete a NEPA assessment before a recommendation can be made, and the House has included similar language in its fiscal year 2024 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs bill.

In conclusion, the lawmakers thank President Biden for his attention to this matter and strongly encourage him to make the necessary changes to the presidential permit process immediately. They believe that the approval of these cross-border bridge projects will greatly benefit the state and the country as a whole.

This effort to streamline the presidential permitting process for the Texas-Mexico bridge projects has received support from various stakeholders, including the Texas Association of Business, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Laredo Motor Carriers Association, and the Border Trade Alliance.

This bipartisan coalition, led by Sen. Cruz, is committed to ensuring that these key cross-border bridges are approved and constructed, fostering economic growth and strengthening trade relations between the United States and Mexico.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-leads-bicameral-bipartisan-coalition-of-texas-lawmakers-urging-biden-to-permit-key-cross-border-bridges