POINT ROBERTS, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A new bill introduced in Congress is aiming to shine a brighter light on Whatcom County’s exclave.

Democratic Rep. Rick Larsen joined with Republican Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota to introduce the EXCLAVE Act on Wednesday, June 24th.

Whatcom County is home to Point Roberts, one of two exclaves in the US that can only be accessed by crossing through Canada. The other exclave is the Northwest Angle in Minnesota.

Rep. Larsen says that residents of Point Roberts suffered significant accessibility issues when the borders closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. If the act passes, the federal government must consult with people who live in exclaves before taking any action involving border-crossing procedures.