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The Rio Grande Valley congressional delegation has signed onto a letter to President Joe Biden expressing frustration over the delayed issuance of presidential permits for key border bridge projects.
In a news release, Sen. Ted Cruz, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee ranking member, said that Sen. John Cornyn along with U.S. Reps. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Brownsville, Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Monica De La Cruz, R-McAllen, all signed the letter asking Biden to “swiftly approve these four critical Texas-Mexico bridge projects that will create jobs, improve supply chain resiliency, and promote economic growth.”
Those projects are in Brownsville, Laredo and Eagle Pass.
“As members of Congress who represent Texas border communities, we write to express our frustration over the delayed issuance of presidential permits for key bridge projects between the United States and Mexico,” the letter states.
That document said bureaucratic barriers are holding up the presidential permits required to construct four crucial bridges.
“These bridges are vital for facilitating trade, travel, and tourism, improving supply chain resiliency, and promoting economic growth throughout the United States, especially in the Texas border region that includes some of our state’s lowest-income areas,” the letter states. “The Senate and the House of Representatives have separately advanced bipartisan legislation that would remove these unnecessary barriers for applicants.
“Instead of waiting for Congress to resolve differences and enact final legislation, we urge you to use your existing authority to remove these barriers now and to swiftly approve these economically-critical cross-border bridge projects.”
The delegation said that under Executive Order 13867 the State Department must provide a recommendation to Biden about whether granting the permits is in the United States’ foreign policy interests.
The letter argues the bridge projects clearly meet that criteria as they will create jobs and expand trade with Mexico, one of the country’s most important trading partners while fostering stronger cross-cultural relations.
“Unfortunately, during the past two years, permits for the Texas-Mexico bridge projects have been needlessly delayed because the State Department, apparently at the direction of White House staff at the National Security Council and the Council on Environmental Quality, has told project sponsors they must first complete a lengthy and costly National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessment before the State Department may make a recommendation to you,” the letter stated.
The Valley’s congressional delegation argues this is unnecessary and contradicts past precedent.
They believe the sole question for the State Department to consider is whether a bridge is in the country’s foreign policy interests — not whether construction complies with the environmental law.
“Further, these projects are nearby or adjacent to existing crossings, undermining the argument in favor of first conducting a laborious environmental review,” the letter states.
The lawmakers also argue that Biden can issue the permits conditioned on the completion of the environmental assessment before construction begins, which was the practice of former President Donald Trump’s administration, according to the letter.
“That administration issued presidential permits for cross-border bridges in Pharr and Laredo, Texas before NEPA assessments were completed,” the letter stated. “Importantly, no environmental shortcuts are taken with this conditional approach as federal agencies with relevant jurisdiction will still review NEPA documents before a bridge project can commence.”
The lawmakers said in the letter that withholding the State Department recommendation makes planning and financing difficult because unlike land crossings that might be owned by the federal government, these projects will be largely privately or locally financed.
“We stand ready to work with you to make these projects a reality. In fact, we have already been working on a bipartisan, bicameral basis to advance legislation that would remove unnecessary barriers to applicants for bridge projects,” the letter states.
The letter cites the Senate National Defense Authorization Act which includes language removing the environmental assessment requirement before the State Department can make a recommendation to the president.
The lawmakers also said the House included language in its fiscal year 2024 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs bill that would also remove that requirement.
“You can make these changes to the presidential permit process immediately, and we strongly encourage you to do so,” the letter stated. “We thank you for your attention to this matter and stand ready to work with you. Our state and our country will greatly benefit from having these cross-border bridge projects move forward expeditiously.”
