SAN ANTONIO – U.S. Rep. Will Hurd joined U.S. Sen. John Cornyn on Wednesday to discuss the future of trade along the U.S.-Mexican border and improving the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The lawmakers joined a Mexican government official to discuss the issue during a Border Trade Advisory Committee meeting in San Antonio.
Hurd said he's taken fellow congressmen to visit the border so they can see how trade works along the region.
"Everybody who is making a decision about this should actually see it with their own eyes," Hurd said. "And this is something I've been committed to since my time in Congress. Understand the border security aspect, but also understand the trade aspects, not just in local communities along the border, but the impact that it has in many of their states and communities in other parts of the country."
During his campaign, President Donald Trump talked about getting rid of NAFTA, but has since looked into renegotiating the agreement with Mexico and Canada.
"I don't see any reason now, after 23 years, why we couldn't go back and revisit NAFTA and bring it up to 2017 standards," Cornyn said. "And make sure it's beneficial to the United States."
But for trade to work, Cornyn and Hurd said there also has to be security along the border.
"When people are committing violent crimes, who happen to be in the country without authorization, continue to target minority communities, that hurts the very people we're trying to help," Cornyn said.
"I've been very clear that building a wall from sea to shining sea is the most expensive and least effective way to do border security," Hurd said. "We can secure our border and facilitate the movement of goods and services at the same time."
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