SEN. VOINOVICH CO-SPONSORS AMENDMENT AIMED AT REDUCING FUTURE PASSPORT DELAYS
Pens letter to Sec. Rice on current passport delay crisis
June 7, 2007
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH), ranking member of the Oversight of Government Management subcommittee, has joined U.S. Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) in co-sponsoring an amendment to the immigration bill aimed at quelling the burden of future passport delays as the January 2008 deadline for the land and sea implementation phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) approaches.
To deal with today’s passport crisis, Sen. Voinovich has also written a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, asking that policies be adjusted to allow acceptance of alternate identification documents – such as birth certificates – until the larger problem can be addressed. The letter also recommends that the secretary take a fresh look at the land border implementation plan being developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure it represents a fair and feasible approach. (See below for copy of the letter)
"My constituents continue to face long processing delays and are increasingly unable to keep their original travel plans," Sen. Voinovich said. "As a result, passport inquiries have increased exponentially with my office, from 76 calls all of last year to nearly 1,000 this week alone. The State Department has lost control of the situation. I do not believe the current implementation plan is realistic and I question how the department failed to anticipate and prepare for the increased demand. Summer travel is not a new phenomenon."
The amendment co-sponsored by Sen. Voinovich would lessen the Initiative’s burden on border residents and other Americans by creating a nationwide secure driver’s license program for cross-border travel and would delay WHTI implementation until a test of the Washington state driver’s license pilot program has been completed. Recently, DHS entered into an agreement with the state of Washington to conduct a pilot program in order to determine whether or not enhanced driver’s licenses could be used to satisfy the requirements of WHTI.
The amendment cosponsored by Sen. Voinovich also:
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Requires that low-cost alternatives to passports, such as passport cards, are available for travelers at the time the Initiative takes effect;
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Requires the Secretary of State to certify that adequate passport staff has been hired to avoid a repeat of this year’s processing delays;
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Establishes mobile passport processing centers along our northern and southern border to accept applications;
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Codifies an earlier announcement to ensure that children under the age of 16 traveling with their parents, and children under 18 traveling in a school or other group, are able to cross the border with a birth certificate rather than a passport.
WHTI will require all travelers, including U.S. citizens, to and from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States. This is a change from prior travel requirements. Since January 2007, Americans traveling by air have been required to present such a document. The second phase of WHTI will occur as early as January 2008 or as late as July 2009, due to an amendment that passed as part of the Fiscal Year 2007 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations conference report.
June 7, 2007
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice Secretary
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Rice:
Thank you for the Department’s response to my letter of March 27 regarding my concerns with the implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). I appreciate your continued efforts to work closely with the Department of Homeland Security on a plan that reflects your commitment to implement WHTI in a manner that facilitates travel, including the timely processing and issuance of passports, and takes into account the needs of border communities without hampering our national security interests.
Despite your personal attention to this issue, I am of the opinion that the State Department has lost control of the situation. My constituents continue to face long processing delays and are increasingly unable to keep their original travel plans. As a result, the daily call volume of Ohioans seeking passport assistance from my office has increased from 76 calls in all of 2006 to nearly 1,000 to date. These statistics are not unique to my office, and will likely continue as frustration builds and more and more travelers, who have dutifully followed State Department guidelines and paid the requisite fees, are prohibited from travel. I offer an example to help illustrate the situation: Last Thursday, my office was informed that passports for a couple were being sent express mail. Only one passport arrived in time for their scheduled departure. In a follow-up call, my office was informed that the second passport was never sent.
I do not believe the current implementation plan is realistic and have serious concerns regarding how the Department failed to anticipate and prepare for the increased demand. Summer travel is not a new phenomenon. Notwithstanding the Department’s use of mandatory overtime and the hiring of additional personnel, it is clear that the existing planning and resources are woefully inadequate.
In the short-term, I ask that you work with Secretary Chertoff to adjust your mutual policies to allow acceptance of alternate identification documents until the larger problem can be addressed. Given the sheer volume of American citizens who now or will shortly require either a passport or a passport card, I further recommend that you take a fresh look at the forthcoming regulations and land border implementation plan being developed by the Department of Homeland Security to ensure they represent a feasible approach.
I remain hopeful that we can develop a reasonable solution that allows us to safeguard our borders without negatively impacting legitimate commerce and travel.
Sincerely,
George V. Voinovich
United States Senator
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