Thread: Leahy Blocks Passport Requirement at Canada, Mexico Border

Democrat Blocks Passport Requirement at Canada, Mexico Borders
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
December 21, 2007

(CNSNews.com) - Sen. Patrick Leahy is preventing the Bush administration from requiring passports next year from people crossing the U.S.-Canada border and the U.S.-Mexico border by land.

The Leahy-sponsored measure - rolled into the omnibus spending bill - will prevent the passport requirement from taking effect until Jan. 1, 2009 at the earliest.

It will buy "breathing room to try to find better and more sensible answers for border security, especially on the Northern Border," Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, said in a news release.

Leahy said the passport requirement would create "major hassles for law-abiding citizens and communities all across the longest peaceful border in the world. It adds nothing to our security while costing Vermont and our national economy billions in lost commerce," he said in a news release.

He said it would cost much less to beef up intelligence and "[work] with Canada to seek out potential terrorists long before they even get near our borders."

Leahy complains that the Bush administration has "rushed to implement passport checks before the necessary technology, infrastructure and training are in place at our border stations. That's a guarantee for long lines and lengthy delays," he said.

Leahy also is annoyed that the Bush administration plans to start requiring birth certificates instead of passports at the U.S.-Canada border next month.

He's written to Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff, criticizing the birth certificate requirement and asking Chertoff to cite his authority for imposing it.

Leahy indicated that that "oral declarations" of citizenship are good enough for the time being.

Chertoff on Thursday questioned the priorities of those who want to postpone the passport requirement, which he considers a key element of national security.

Chertoff told a group of Hearst Corp. executives that the administration will move ahead with plans to require passports for anyone crossing into the U.S. from Mexico or Canada. "I want to get as close as possible to getting this implemented as I can during this president's term in office," Chertoff told the Hearst executives.

"Delaying this documentation requirement is keeping the door to illegal immigrants open," Chertoff was quoted as saying.

"It is a little silly to spend a lot of money building a fence when you're kicking the door wide open and saying anybody can come in if they can wave a piece of paper that they can (easily counterfeit)."
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?P ... 1221b.html

Don't you need a passport to enter most countries? What the hell is wrong with this guy?

Curious...I was at the post office this week and in line for about 10 minutes. I heard no less then 4 people, with heavily accented English, ask for passport applications. One guy seemed very put out that it was past the time they were taking applications for the day. If I saw that many people in ten minutes, how many per day must they have? What are they planning to do? My city and county applied for 287g this year. So I'm asking myself are they leaving? But then why do they need passports? Are they following someone back to Mexico?

Too many questions, sorry.

Any speculations?

What is the problem with getting a passport....easy to get(if you are a citizen) and they last for years....When I flew to Va a month ago...I just whipped out my passport at one of the checkpoints & and the guard thanked me for showing my passport...said it made his job easier...

What they really want is for the Real ID to act as our Passports & North American Id Cards. "Show me your Papers, Please!"