Speech #970024105

S. 2080. which authorized the construction of the OtayMesa Border Station. Although S. 2080 was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate and. subsequently. referred to a House/ Senate conference committee. the bill died when the conferees could not accommodate the various differences between the Senate and House versions of the Public Buildings Act. Discussions between the United States and Mexico about the need for a second border crossing on the CaliforniaBaja California border have been underway for over 15 years. San Diegans have sought a second border crossing located at OtayMesa in order to relieve the seriously crowded conditions at the present inspection station at San Ysidro. Yearly traffic estimates by the Immigration and Naturalization Service state that 35 million people and approximately 12 million vehicles cross the international boundary northbound through San Ysidro. The congestion at this site is so heavy that U.S. citizens visiting the neighboring border State of Baja California. have experienced more than 3hour waits to reenter the United States. The Mexican Government believes the second border crossing to be a crucial element in its development strategy for the Mexican border region. Implementation of major public projects has been underway since 1976. projects that are all contingent in some way on the construction of the new border gate. Mr.