Daines: Northern Border Access Is Critical For Montana Jobs

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., is pushing the Biden administration to allow non-essential travel between Montana and Canada to boost Montana jobs, Montana agriculture and Montana small businesses. Daines emphasized that with COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations on the decline and vaccinations on the rise, the time is now to move forward to safely reopen the northern border.

“As we approach the end of winter, ensuring that the movement of people and goods across the U.S.-Canada border can efficiently and safely occur is critically important for Montana’s economy. This is particularly true for Montanans dependent on tourism and agriculture, the main drivers of our economy and the sectors that rely most heavily on cross-border access. I urge you to quickly and safely come to an agreement with Canada to reopen the northern border,” the letter states.

Daines first wrote President Trump about the importance of trade and travel over the Canadian border during the pandemic in March of last year.

On April 3, 2020, Daines urged U.S. Customs and Border Protection to keep Montana’s ports of entry open to Montana agricultural and trade during the pandemic.

On June 17, 2020, Daines sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security urging them to safely reopen the border as soon as possible.