BUFFALO, N.Y. — With the one year anniversary of the U.S.-Canada border closure looming, Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) says he's continuing to push for a full reopening of the border by July.
Higgins, co-chair of the Northern Border Caucus, says he's also encouraging a partial reopening in May which would include "additional exemptions to allow families to reunite."
In a letter to President Joe Biden last month, Higgins challenged the Biden Administration to partially reopen the border by Memorial Day, followed by a full reopening in July.
Now Higgins says there are "new indications" that the Biden Administration plans on lifting some travel restrictions in May, citing a recent report by CNBC.
"A great deal of positive developments have occurred over the last several months," Higgins said. "The U.S. and Canada are collaborating in a meaningful way again. Vaccine manufacturing and distribution in the US is way ahead of schedule making it possible to help Canada without compromising distribution in the U.S.
"Now is the time to move aggressively in a bilateral way on a plan to reopen the border. It can be done with appropriate safety measures. Let’s get the border open."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that the border will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least April 21, 2021.
As of Sunday, the U.S.-Canada border will have been closed for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.