Rep. Elise Stefanik gives a victory speech on election night, Nov. 3, 2020, at the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls. (Provided photo — Christopher Lenney, Watertown Daily Times)

Members of Congress, including a bipartisan group from New York, offered recommendations as President Joe Biden works to develop a plan for reopening the U.S.-Canadian border.

In a letter to the Biden administration, the Congressional Northern Border Caucus proposed the creation of a bilateral plan between the two countries to restore non-essential travel. There has been a ban on non-essential travel between the two countries since March 21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some cross-border travel is permitted if it supports commerce, health security, supply security and trade, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Essential workers are allowed to cross the border for their employment.

But the Northern Border Caucus, led by U.S. Reps. Brian Higgins and Elise Stefanik, says the restrictions have impacted businesses, individuals and families.

“For communities like western New York a trip across the border feels like a trip across the street,” said Higgins, a Buffalo Democrat whose district is along the U.S.-Canadian border. “And after nearly a year divided, we are in desperate need of a plan to reconnect with our Canadian neighbors.”

Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, who represents the 21st Congressional District, agrees that the Biden should prioritize the reopening of the U.S.-Canadian border.

“Today we’ve outlined tangible steps the Biden administration can take to immediately relieve the hardships placed on border communities while charting a clear pathway forward,” she said. “I will not stop working on behalf of my constituents until there is a tangible, long-lasting solution.”

Along with a bilateral plan between the U.S. and Canada, members of the Northern Border Caucus — U.S. Rep. John Katko, who represents all of Cayuga County, is part of the group — recommended that the Biden administration prioritize COVID-19 testing and vaccinations for Customs and Border Protection staff as part of any reopening strategy.

They also support a family travel exemption similar to what Canada adopted. Canada allows family members to cross the border from the United States, but the U.S. lacks such a policy.

The members also requested a policy allowing individuals to cross the border to maintain their property. And they urged the Biden administration to push for a policy that allows U.S. boaters into Canadian waters as long as they don’t stop and dock at a port across the border. The United States’ policy has been to allow boaters from Canada, but the Canadians don’t have a similar policy.

Since the restrictions on cross-border travel were implemented, they have been extended every 30 days. The policy was recently extended for another 30 days, with an expiration date of Feb. 21.

In their letter, the members of Congress called for binational cooperation between the U.S. and Canada to allow for the reopening of the border.

“The continued ritual of monthly extensions without substantive signs of collaboration or progress only increases uncertainty and amplifies hardship for the border communities we represent — including those on U.S. soil accessible only through cross-border transit,” the members wrote. “Since the onset of the restricts, we have been adamant that preserving the deep social and economic bond shared between the U.S. and Canada necessitates a clear pathway forward.”