The Border Trade Alliance today applauded a bipartisan congressional effort to extend the Donation Acceptance Program, which allows local governments and stakeholders to partner with the federal government to enhance infrastructure that facilitates trade and travel.
DAP is slated to officially sunset later this month, but legislation to extend the program by one year was introduced today in the House by Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and yesterday in the Senate by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and was cosponsored by members of both parties.
“The Border Trade Alliance appreciates this bipartisan effort to extend the life of a program that has proven extremely effective in ensuring that our border infrastructure is properly equipped to keep pace with today’s trade volumes,” Border Trade Alliance President Ms. Britton Mullen said. “The DAP ensures that local communities are working hand in hand with Customs and Border Protection and the General Services Administration to modernize their ports of entry and to keep their communities economically competitive.”
The BTA has strongly supported the DAP since its 2013 inception and has advocated for additional partnerships between the federal government and local governments and/or the private sector trade community.
“The BTA believes that close collaboration between agencies like CBP and GSA and the trade community is essential to ensuring our borders have the infrastructure, technology, and other resources necessary to efficiently process trade and travel, reduce congestion, and enhance our security,” Mullen said. “We thank Rep. Cuellar, Sen. Cornyn, and the cosponsors from both parties who are working to extend the DAP and we look forward to working with them in the year ahead in investigating ways to improve upon an already successful program.”
