Highway Bill Customs Fee Diversion Hurts CBP Staffing Goals, Says NTEU
The diversion of $4 billion in customs user fees to unrelated transportation projects in the six-year Senate highway bill would damage CBP’s ability to increase its staffing to authorized levels, the National Treasury Employees Union said in an Oct. 28…
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statement (here). House Democrats recently lashed into that use of the fees, arguing they should be applied to facilitation and border functions (see 1510150029). “Sufficient CBP staffing must be provided to ensure security and mitigate long wait times at our nation’s air, sea and land ports of entry,” said new NTEU President Tony Reardon in the statement. “There is perhaps no greater roadblock to legitimate trade and travel efficiency than the shortage of staff at the ports. Understaffed ports lead to long delays for the traveling public and in commercial lanes as cargo waits to enter U.S. commerce. Those delays result in real losses to the U.S. economy.” CBP has struggled to fill the additional hires (see 1504230030). The House introduced a long-term bill in recent days, but Ways and Means lawmakers haven't yet provided funding sources for the legislation (see 1510260009). The Senate gave the go-ahead on a three-week highway stopgap on Oct. 28 in a move that sends the legislation to President Barack Obama.