LAREDO—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today issued the following statement after hosting a press conference in Laredo with U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Florida, to discuss trade, immigration and border security:

“I’m thankful Sen. Martinez was able to join me today in Laredo to discuss a number of issues relating to international trade and commerce, border security, and lawful immigration. As the U.S. Senator from Florida—a state only second to Texas in exports—he knows firsthand some of the similar challenges that law enforcement officials and leaders here in Laredo face every day.

“Laredo is growing at record speed. To ensure this growth continues, we must put policies in place that promote free trade and make the exportation of Texas-made goods as efficient a process as possible. At the same time, it’s critical that we strike the right balance between successful trade operations and effective security that keeps Texas and the country safe. One area where we can strike this balance is at our ports of entry. I’ve introduced legislation that would boost efficiency for trade by improving infrastructure at our ports of entry and adding more lanes to reduce wait times. On the security front, this bill also provides for additional resources to hire more inspectors to ensure security operations are top-notch,” Sen. Cornyn said. [read more]