U.S., Mexican lawmakers have talks

U.S., Mexican lawmakers have talks
By Diana Washington Valdez / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 06/07/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT

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U.S. and Mexican legislators will meet this weekend in Monterrey, Mexico, to discuss issues of mutual interest to both countries, including immigration, trade and border security.

U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-Texas, whose district stretches from far East El Paso to San Antonio, is part of the Mexico-U.S. Interparliamentary Group, which meets once a year.

"I have worked closely with U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) on bills to help to stop illegal activity by cracking down on illegal gunrunning, and to address the issue of increased wait times on the border by gathering better data on wait times," Rodriguez said Friday.

"We must continue to have the special relationship we have had with Mexico and I will work this weekend to continue that relationship."

He said U.S. lawmakers were considering a bill to enable the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to hire, train and deploy 80 more special agents, some of whom would be assigned to the Project Gunrunner Teams that investigate weapons trafficking into Mexico.

Another bill, the Border Wait Times Study Act, would document the economic impacts wait times at international crossings are having at the borders with Canada and Mexico.

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