Posted on 01/30/2008 7:22:17 AM PST by BGHater
Nineteen American senators are urging their government to scrap a new rule that will require travellers to show proof of citizenship and a photo identification card when entering the United States by car, boat, or on foot.
The new rule takes effect on Thursday.
The senators wrote a letter to Michael Chertoff, the U.S. secretary of Homeland Security, asking him to continue to allow travellers to cross land and sea borders with an official government-issued photo I.D., such as a driver's licence.
As has always been practice, travellers would have to verbally state their citizenship, but would not have to prove it with a birth certificate, citizenship card or other piece of official documentation, as the new rule requires.
"While we understand the department's desire for greater documentation of travellers coming through our nation's borders, we seriously question the timing of this dramatic policy change," the letter stated.
The senators — led by Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Ted Stevens of Alaska and Charles Schumer of New York — said Homeland Security should hold off on any changes until June 2009, when the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative goes into effect and passports are required to cross all U.S. borders.
In their letter, the senators argued there's no sense in having an interim measure requiring citizenship proof, especially when the interim rule has not been well-publicized.
Instead, the senators said the government should focus on getting ready for the June 2009 passport deadline, and preparing secure passport cards that travellers can use when the deadline arrives.
"The new interim procedures are a recipe for long lines at our nation's border crossings and reduced flow of commerce with no clear increase in security," the senators wrote. 8,000 varieties of birth certificates exist
The senators argued that birth certificates are not a great piece of identification, because there are more than 8,000 different kinds of birth certificates that have been issued by various U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
"Determining the authenticity of a birth certificate provided at the border is a daunting task for our already overstretched [border] agents," the senators said.
But as of late Monday, the Department of Homeland Security was still going ahead with its plans to demand proof of citizenship, and had a fact sheet posted online outlining the citizenship papers that are considered acceptable.
The citizenship proof rule comes almost four years after the U.S. government adopted the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative in reaction to the Sept. 11 attacks. The first phase of the initiative took place Jan. 23, 2007, when passports were required for all travellers entering the United States by air.
The second phase, requiring passports for land and sea crossings, has been delayed by the U.S. government several times. The rules were first going to come into effect in January 2008, then they were bumped to the summer of 2008, before being pushed back again to June 2009.
In addition to Leahy, Stevens and Schumer, the other senators demanding the citizenship proof rule be cancelled are from the following states:
* Ohio (2 senators) * Minnesota (2 senators) * Maine (2 senators) * Idaho (2 senators) * New Mexico * North Dakota * Michigan * Alaska * Washington * Vermont * New Hampshire * Connecticut
UnFreak’nBelievable
I want a bumper sticker that says, “I hate senators”.
I’m sure Clinton, Obama, or McCain would scrap the rules.
Just watch these cockroaches scatter, then.
So it takes eight years to decide if people should have to prove they belong in the country? After what happened on 9/11? 8 years?
Washington is broken!
May this dirt bag go home to Alaska and stay there, better yet, put the corrupt POS in jail for the rest of his life,
There was nothing wrong with the old system of US or Canadian citizens presenting official non-passport ID to enter the USA.
At the Michigan to Canada crossings, birth certs have been required for several years.
Last year, I took my daughters and two friends of their to Windsor for a Bible conference. I had the birth certs but no permission slip for the two friends. Plus, I was just dropping them off and returning to the states within the hour. Took plenty of explaining but I got them through.
I can’t afford passports for my family for our infrequent trips to Canada, so when the passport law takes effect, they won’t be going there. Too bad, that’s life.
These lines are no big deal. Been ther done that. What a big fat waste of time on behalf of these lazy senators.
“Ohio (2 senators)”
That F&*^%# crybaby Voinovitch!
http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200712/122007b.html
Passport Requirement At The Northern Border
Will Be Nixed Until 2009 At The Earliest
. . . Final Budget Bill Includes Leahy Mandate
Delaying WHTI Rules Until June 2009
Do they still have all those parking spaces reserved for members of congress (near the terminals) at Washington DC area airports? Haven’t been there in a while.
http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200801/012808b.html
The letter was signed by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.); Ted Stevens (R-Alaska); Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.); Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio); Norm Coleman (R-Minn.); Susan Collins (R-Maine); Larry Craig (R-Idaho); Mike Crapo (R-Idaho); Pete Domenici (R-N.M.); Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.); Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.); Carl Levin (D-Mich.); Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska); Patty Murray (D-Wash.); Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.); Olympia Snowe (R-Maine); John Sununu (R-N.H.); George Voinovich (R-Ohio); and Chris Dodd (D-Conn.).
I went through to Windsor a few years ago with no problems, but when I came back in my rental car, US Customs was not happy that I had no passport or birth certificate. I had assumed that a US driver’s license and other US ID would be sufficient. They wanted to see the rental car agreement, and of course that was back in my room in the US. Eventually they let me through, with an admonishment to have better documents next time.
Mexico: Exports to - $12.1 Billion
Mexico: Imports from - $19.7 Billion
Canada: Exports to - $22.6 Billion
Canada: Imports from - $27.35 Billion
Large numbers in both cases and hardly an argument to relax measures entering from Canada and strengthening measures entering from Mexico.
I would argue that there is a national security aspect to this. Make it tougher to enter the US from the south, and how long do you think it will take for those wishing to enter the US illegally to enter from the North?
Traitors, simple as that.
Scary thing is that McCain would be agree with them if asked.
It MUST stop!
My wife and I recently watched “Waitress,” a clever and sweet little film written and directed by Adrienne Shelly. Shelly was A VERY talented lady who also played a supporting role.
She was senselessly MURDERED in her NY apartment on November 1, 2006. Her body was found hanging by a sheet from a shower rod – by her husband. She was 40 and left behind a 3 year-old daughter who will never know her real mother.
A 19 YEAR OLD EQUADORIAN — AN ILLEGAL WHO SHOULD NEVER HAVE EVEN BEEN IN THE COUNTRY IN THE FIRST PLACE (THANK YOU CLINTON AND BUSH) — CONFESSED TO HER MURDER.
They are killing 25 of us every day.
IT WILL STOP WHEN THE MORONS IN WASHINGTON GET AS SERIOUS ABOUT THE ILLEGAL INVASION AS THEY ARE ABOUT HARASSING NATIVE BORN CITIZENS AT THE AIRPORTS.
(AND, YES, I INTENDED TO SHOUT BECAUSE I’M MAD AS HELL AND NOT GONNA TAKE ANY MORE OF THIS CRAP!)
How about you???
I’ve been a regular at local congressional town hall meetings for a few dozen years and noted that starting around 10 years ago, the majority of those there were angry that nothing was being done about the illegal invasion.
Why are we still waiting for the clowns in Malfunction Junction – who can produce convoluted legislative proposals to line their pockets or deliver pork back home and ram it through in the dark of night – to secure our national borders?
Perhaps YOU should get on over to those pre-election public meetings and raise some serious hell – before YOU die at the hands of someone who ought not even BE HERE!
We have enough indigenous criminals. WE SURE AS HELL DON’T NEED TO IMPORT MORE.
Hey, they’re Senators.
More like terrorist enablers
Didn’t I say that?
Caligula’s horse was a better senator than most of these fools.
LOL
Well, I guess you did at that.
Consider that those you are referring to will have to pass through TWO Immigration/Customs inspections (Canadian and American) the odds of success seem lower to me than having only to cross the Rio Grande at night.
Oh calm down, Dick. You’re being hysterical.
Look, yes, it’s been bad, but help is on the way.
Yes see, either Hillary or McCain is going to be our brand spanking new president. They are both good friends and agree on just about everything. They feel your pain and will do everything in their POWER to fix all of this and much, much more.
So you think I am joking?? No way , Dick, I am very serious. Word is, we are all going to rally behind McCain and we all know how much he wants to fix everything. Heck, he is real money smart too, so we will all make lot’s more money and be very safe and secure.
Did you know that McCain was the only real conservative running for president? Did you know that he is so good at his job that he can actually trick T. Kennedy into helping him with the illegal alien problems??
I know that you might be upset right now, but I am telling you, I can hardly hold my excitement in....I am ready to burst.
Oh there is one more piece of some really great news. Right this very minute, our beloved law makers are working on a way to pay the illegal aliens a bonus. They have to say it’s to help out our straining economy, but what they are actually doing taking up a collection from all of us to help pay for the illegal aliens bus tickets home. How very exciting is that!! I knew you would like it. ;>)
So there you go, Dick, it’s all being taken care of. It will all be fixed real soon. ;>) Just remember, vote for McCain or Hillary as they stand united for each and every one of us.
Nope. It's working exactly as the government intends for it to.
“Homeland Security should hold off on any changes until June 2009, when the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative goes into effect and passports are required to cross all U.S. borders.”
Aren’t passports ALREADY required to enter the U.S? Or is that just for Americans?
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