Government Relations Report Ron Steeves First Vice-President On July 27, 2017, Congressional Representatives Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) and Ted Deutch (D-FL22) reintroduced the Canadian Snowbird Visa Act ‒ bipartisan legislation to extend by two months the time for which Canadians who own or lease a home/accommodation in the United States can travel in the United States. As Canadian tourists spend more than $5 billion annually in the state of Florida alone, it’s not hard to understand why Congressman Deutch is co-sponsoring this legislation. Congresswoman Stefanik, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, represents a border community in New York State. If you are a Canadian who spends six months during the winter in the United States, inmost cases you would not be eligible to visit the United States again for another six months. This obviously has a tremendous effect on the economies of U.S. border communities and is a key reason Representative Stefanik has agreed to co-sponsor this legislation. It is also a key reason we think Congressional representatives from ANY state that wants to increase Canadian tourism, particularly during the summer months, will be supportive of this legislation. Another bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives prior to the August recess was theBorder Security for America Act, H.R. Introduced by CongressmanMichael McCaul (R-TX-10) with 44 original co-sponsors, this bill, among other things, directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement biometric exit-entry systems at all points of entry into the United States. Though this proposal has been deliberated for years inWashington, the most recent iteration comes from an executive order signed by President Trump at the end of January which called for “the completion and implementation of a biometric entry-exit tracking system for all travellers to the United States.” While the details of what such a systemwould entail are not included in the bill, older biometric systems have been based on fingerprint collection and, with today’s technology, systems can be constructed to recognize individual faces and voiceprints. The proposal received a significant amount of push-back from northern border Congressional representatives, such as Congressman Chris Collins (R-NY-27), who cited unnecessary disruptions to both Canadian and American citizens. In a letter to then-Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly, Congressman Collins wrote that “biometric entry-exit scanning at our northern border would significantly delay the daily commutes of hard-working Americans and Canadians and cause undue burdens on trade.” Fortunately, as a result of these concerns, the Border Security for America Act exempts Canadian and American citizens from the biometric requirement. The CSA continuously monitors legislative and regulatory proposals on both sides of the border which would impact members, to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information necessary to stay ahead of any pending policy changes. On August 3, 2017, the United States Senate confirmed Kelly Craft as the newU.S. ambassador to Canada. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Senator from Kentucky (where Ms. Craft is also from) issued a statement congratulating her on the appointment and confirmation. “Our two nations share more than a border; we have a heritage of trade and security relations that benefit us both,” he said. “As a proven advocate for our national interests, Kelly will use her position to continue the long history of friendship between the United States and Canada. I appreciate her willingness to serve our country once again, and I know that she will make Kentucky proud.” In 2007, Ms. Craft was appointed as a member of the U.S. delegation to the United Nation’s 61st Session of the General Assembly. Craft advised the American ambassador to the U.N. on a range of issues, including U.S. engagement in Africa. She is also the first woman to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Canada. The Canadian Snowbird Association has a long history of good working relations with former U.S. ambassadors to Canada and we congratulate and look forward to working with Ambassador Craft. In March, the Saskatchewan government announced that it was raising the rate of provincial sales tax from five per cent to six per cent and that it would now apply to all insurance products, including medical travel insurance. In July, we sat down with the Saskatchewan Health Minister the Hon. Jim Reiter and expressed our strong disapproval with respect to this measure. Minister Reiter appreciates our concerns but, at this time, the government is unfortunately proceeding with this measure. I can tell you that this government has never faced the level of opposition which they are facing now regarding some of the announcements that they made in their last budget. It may well be one of the reasons Premier Brad Wall has announced that he is now retiring from politics. We will ensure that this issue remains front and centre in the Saskatchewan party’s race to elect a new leader, who would presumably spend some time as the new premier prior to the next provincial election. CSANews | FALL 2017 | 11
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