Senate to Vote on CBP Abu Dhabi Preclearance Amendment As part of
legislation to fund the government through the remainder of fiscal year 2013,
the Senate will consider an amendment that will prohibit third-party
reimbursement for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) services. ALPA strongly
supports this amendment, introduced by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Sen.
Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), as it will prohibit the U.S. from seeking reimbursement
from the UAE to build a new preclearance facility in Abu Dhabi.
A preclearance site in Abu Dhabi is a significant
departure from current practice, as no U.S. carriers fly to or from Abu Dhabi.
The establishment of a CBP preclearance facility in Abu Dhabi would only benefit
Etihad Airways, a foreign carrier that competes internationally with U.S.
carriers, putting U.S. airlines—and their employees—at a competitive
disadvantage. Moreover, allowing the UAE to pay for this facility creates a
pay-to-play construct that will lead to the shifting of national security costs
to entities and foreign governments. This type of arrangement will allow CBP
resources to be dictated by economics rather than the security needs at
individual border crossing sites.
Read ALPA’s support letter of the Brown-Isakson amendment. |