It’s not as if they’re serving poutine, maple syrup and Beaver Tails or listening to Michael Bublé, Anne Murray or Justin Bieber at Elise Stefanik’s house in Schuylerville, New York, but the suddenly contentious U.S. politician is an admitted and determined Canada booster. Despite the often nasty and vitriolic bipartisan grudge matches inWashington, D.C., there may be some subtle and encouragingly positive good news for Canadian snowbirds. U.S. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, recently in the eye of the bickering storm as the Trump disciple and controversial replacement for firebrand Liz Cheney as chair of the House Republican Conference and now Number 3 Republican in theU.S. House of Representatives, just happens to be openly pro-Canada and dynamically Canada-savvy. The 37-year-old Harvard grad, whose NewYork congressional district borders Canada, is an outspoken advocate for Canadian trade, tourism, cultural ties and all things Canada. Most importantly, frompast and recent performance, when it comes to rules, regulations and finding constructive new ways to do things – Stefanik walks the walk. Earlier this year, she co-authored a bipartisan open letter to the Biden administration about prioritizing the reopening of the northern border after the 16+-month pandemic shutdown. In her letter to AlejandroMayorkas, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, she said, “The continued closure of the United States/ Canada land border to non-essential travel has created hardships for the border communities which I proudly represent. Canada is one of our closest allies and our two nations share a deep economic and social bond, yet the continued inability to establish a bilateral plan to reopen the border undermines this special partnership.” The prickly urge to reopen the 8,891-km Canada/U.S. border was actually Stefanik’s second pro-Canada crusade. The first was the Canadian Snowbird Visa Act. With her newfound government clout and growing bipartisan support for the Canadian Snowbirds Act legislation, the magic number for Canadian snowbirds lovin’ winter life in Florida, Arizona, Texas and beyond could soon be bumped from the current 182 to 240 days, extending the time for which Canadians who own or lease a home in the United States can travel and stay in the U.S. by two months. “And why not?” asks the focused and sharp congresswoman. “Our successful and productive economic partnership with Canada extends beyond our cross-border business and manufacturing operations. Our Canadian visitors are critically important to regional economies, whether it’s New York State or Texas or Florida. Providing an extra two months to enjoy the United States will also grow American small businesses, create jobs and foster our relationship with our closest economic ally. “Canada continues to be our strongest economic ally, and we must actively work to maintain our partnership to ensure that it is productive and beneficial for both countries,” she Canada-boostingly said when she became co-chair of the Northern Border Caucus, a bipartisan group of House members who focus on policies central to the U.S.-Canada relationship. At last count (before the borders closed down), more than 79 million international visitors entered the U.S., with Canada accounting for more than 21 million people, spending more than US$18 billion on all things American. The stats also show that more than 500,000 Canadian snowbirds enjoy up to the current maximum allowable six months in the U.S. and about 80 per cent own U.S. property. Elise Stefanik Snowbird Booster Pushing for snowbirds in Washington by John Hardy SnowbirdProfile 14 | www.snowbirds.org
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