ISSA, VARGAS LEAD BIPARTISAN CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION VISIT TO OTAY MESA PORT OF ENTRY PROJECT

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version Share this

Representatives Issa, Vargas, Jacobs, Levin and Peters also  conducted key meetings with local, state and federal U.S. officials

East County News Service

Photos via SANDAG on Twitter

June 11, 2021 (Otay Mesa) -- At the invitation of Congressmen Darrell Issa and Juan Vargas, the San Diego Congressional delegation – including Congresswoman Jacobs and Congressmen Mike Levin and Scott Peters – visited the Otay Mesa Port of Entry II project to view construction progress and receive briefings on the facilities and port operations.

“This was a critically important trip, made all the more so because my colleagues and I conducted it as a unified, bipartisan delegation committed to ensuring that the voice of our shared region is heard on both sides of the border,” said Congressman Issa. “I am confident that the briefings we received and the input we made will make a lasting difference in the U.S. and Mexico.

“I was very pleased to visit the U.S. Consulate General in Tijuana and the Otay Mesa Port of Entry alongside my San Diego Congressional Delegation colleagues, Representatives Issa, Peters, Levin, and Jacobs. I also appreciated hearing from SANDAG and Caltrans staff about the progress of the proposed Otay Mesa East Port of Entry. Binational and bipartisan collaboration and communication are key to addressing infrastructure and environmental challenges, as technology, communication, and the economy are rapidly evolving,” said Congressman Vargas. “Strengthening our international relations is crucial to promoting effective policies for all nations involved.”

“San Diegans know the importance of the U.S.-Mexico relationship because we live it every day,” said Congresswoman Jacobs. “This bipartisan visit was a great opportunity to see the progress on the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry project, receive briefings from a number of officials, and meet with the U.S. Counsel General. Our two countries are deeply connected and face a number of shared challenges, including COVID-19 and the Tijuana River, and San Diego is best served when we move forward in a spirit of partnership and respect.”

“I’m pleased with the productive bipartisan discussions fostered today with my San Diego Congressional delegation colleagues, Consul General Sue Saarnio, and officials during our visit to the border,” said Congressman Levin. “We must continue to engage in these conversations on behalf of our shared region and its residents to preserve our coastal waters, support necessary infrastructure projects, and bolster cross-border economic cooperation with our neighbors in Tijuana.” 

“Meeting the needs of our region requires continued cooperation across the aisle. Bipartisanship made the infrastructure we saw in person today possible. Other pressing issues, including the Tijuana River Valley’s sewage problem and the state of our cross-border economies, are no different. I thank officials from SANDAG, CalTrans and the American Consulate in Tijuana for their work, and my colleagues Rep. Juan Vargas and Rep. Darrell Issa for their leadership today. This visit served as another reminder of the good work we can do when we work together.”

Customs and Border Protection and the General Services Administration leadership provided an update on the operations and construction status of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Caltrans and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) provided an overview on the proposed state-of-the-art, Otay Mesa East Port of Entry project.

In addition, the delegation met with U.S. Consul General Sue Saarnio. The Members received an update on the border country’s COVID recovery, migration status report and an update on the Tijuana River.

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) posted on Twitter, “Our partnership is crucial to delivering a project that will strengthen border security & fuel growth.”


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

Comments

why was

nothing mentioned about all those illegals the right is complaining about?....oh is it because it is not as bad as the right wants you to believe....

The new port of entry is for legal crossings,

Something both sides agree is needed for truck traffic and travelers entering the US or Mexico legally to reduce congestion at other ports of entry. 

It's a separate issue from illegal crossings and the immigration debate.