Posted on 12/17/2007 1:19:57 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Congress is seeking to delay a new security rule requiring passports at all U.S. border crossings next year in hopes of avoiding a repeat of last summer's vacation-killing backlog of passport applications.
The Bush administration said Monday it opposed the measure and still plans to go forward with implementing the planned passport rule next summer.
Lawmakers said Monday that under a major end-of-the-year spending bill to be voted on this week, the border passport rule would be moved back even further, to no earlier than June 1, 2009.
The first phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, or WHTI, went into effect earlier this year, requiring U.S. travelers returning by plane from Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean to carry a passport.
As a result of the new requirements, demand for passports soared and the State Department issued a record 18.4 million passports in fiscal year 2007, compared to 12.1 million in 2006.
As a result, wait times for passports ballooned from four to six weeks to 12 weeks, but they have since returned to normal.
Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., said the government should have more time to implement the law, and "do it in a way that won't cause the same passport headaches we saw with the air travel requirement earlier this year."
In border states like Coleman's, the new laws have also raised concerns that local trade and tourism will suffer. In response, the State Department plans to create passcards which will cost less than half the nearly $100 charged for a new passport.
Department of Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said the agency opposes the measure but doesn't believe it will actually stop their implementation plan for the border passport rule.
"A delay in WHTI implementation would create the very type of chaos at the border that Congress has repeatedly urged our department to avoid," Knocke said.
WHTI was passed by Congress as part of a 2004 intelligence reform bill.
Do it now folks, they are geared up and ready to turn them around pronto.
After the next election. Interesting...
Thank you. I was wondering if now was a good time to renew...
Merry Christmas.
Was that with “normal” processing, or did you pay extra for the “expedited” processing?
I did it a month ago with expedited service and I had it back in two working days.
No, a straight application,, $67 for the Dept of State, $30 for the local city office processing fee.
I’ll tell ya , I was almost stuned when I saw the little packets. I have been putting doing it off for years..
Boy, do I look young in the old expired one. ;-)
I did an “expedited” application back in May and it took about two weeks to get mine.
I have complain a bit, why do they keep delaying the passport rules. Just do it already. I “rushed” out to get our passports for travel over a year ago due to pending rule changes. By the time they finally do it I will need a renewal.
from my understanding, in that timeframe, they ramped up resources big time, so that isn’t too bad a turn-around..
I had until april or so to do it.. glad its out of the way..
Back in May it took me a month to get my passport renewed. My girlfriend got hers in 8 days this month. Her passport was a first time application. Neither of us used expedited service.
Hopefully more people will come to learn that the best time to get a passport is when you don't need one.
Because it's basically a stupid rule, and once they delay implementation long enough, they will eventually be able to drop the rule and no one will make any noise about it.
We should make the first passport free of charge..and then really really encourage every citizen to get one.
Every responsible citizen should have one..since the states are dragging their feet on the new license standards and so many fraudulent licences have turned up.
With the hundreds of stories via every media outlet about the backlog last summer (so as to accuse the Whitehouse with being unfair and “Grinchley”) there is no excuse for any delay this summer. Those that apparently live in a complete void and didn’t hear about the issue are not going to be placated by public notice. This again shows the Democrats playing the largest violin in the smallest symphony hall.
Needless to say the 2009 date is within the timeframe the Dems believe they will run two of the three branches of government. Then they can just ignore it.
Glad to hear they have it back down to a reasonable time period. It took me 11 weeks to get a replacement for a lost passport earlier in the year.
I submitted my application last saturday. Just checked a few minutes ago and got this back:
We have finished processing your passport, and it has been mailed to you.
You requested delivery by regular mail. Passport Agencies use Priority Mail. This means you should receive your passport on or about 12/22/2007.
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