The House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management hosted a hearing this week to examine border-station construction costs.
The hearing was focused on projects that have been authorized by the General Services Administration (GSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Many of these projects had been established through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014.
U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), chairman of the subcommittee, said border stations see approximately 350,000 vehicles and approximately $2 billion in trade activity on a daily basis. Barletta also said there are 167 stations acting as points of entry.
The GSA manages most of these stations, including those considered to have the heaviest traffic.
“Each project considered under the pilot program should be limited in scope and carefully reviewed to ensure it fits with our national priorities and that the costs associated with ongoing maintenance and upkeep are assessed to protect the taxpayer from picking up an unexpected bill down the road,” Barletta said in his opening statement at the hearing.
