Uncle Sam Wants To Know Who You Are

Challenging Homeland Security
By JACOB RESNECK, Enterprise Staff Writer
Posted on: Wednesday, April 25, 2007
SARANAC LAKE — Despite opposition from many Congress members in border states, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to require everyone crossing the border from Canada and Mexico to produce a valid passport by January 2008.The rule is part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, passed by Congress in 2004 to strengthen border security. But last year, Congress inserted language in an appropriations bill pushing back the deadline from Jan. 1, 2008 until June 1, 2009. Nevertheless, Homeland Security officials say they are proceeding with the old deadline.“There may be some effort on your congressional members to revisit the deadlines, but we’re working from what’s already been established as a deadline — and that deadline is January 2008,” said Homeland Security spokesman Ross Knocke in Washington.U.S. Rep. John McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, continues to rail against the impending passport rule, which he said Homeland Security is not ready to implement without disrupting cross-border travel and commerce between the U.S. and Canada.“You’ve got this sentiment in the nation that our border is too porous,” McHugh said Tuesday from Washington. “We would argue that we agree, but there are things we can do without destroying our trading relationships with America’s number-one partner.”McHugh, whose congressional district includes all of New York’s northern border from Lake Ontario to Lake Champlain, has co-sponsored legislation with Louise Slaughter, D-Rochester, requiring Homeland Security and the U.S. State Department to meet certain requirements before bringing in the passport rule.In February, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., introduced similar legislation in the Senate.Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Hudson, is one of at least 30 co-sponsors of the legislation that has bipartisan support, mostly from border states. “What this act requires is a much more thoughtful approach to make sure that our economy is protected and that the residents in our communities continue to move freely when they need to,” Gillibrand said Tuesday from the floor of the House of Representatives.Introduced in February as the Protecting American Commerce and Travel Act (PACT), the bill would require the federal government to complete a pilot program testing secure, state-issued driver’s licenses as an alternative to a passport requirement.Already a pilot program for the state of Washington is in the works, but it won’t be completed before 2008.The bill also requires that Homeland Security and the State Department:¯develop a wallet-sized passport card that would cost no more than $20 and take no longer 10 days to issue¯improve existing fast-track crossing systems such as NEXUS and FAST — primarily used by the trucking industry and regular commuters ¯complete a cost-benefit analysis on the impact of tightened border controls¯exempt U.S. and Canadian citizens under 17 from the passport rule as well as students under 19 years old on supervised school trips¯report to Congress regularly on the progress of implementing the new regulations.The bill notes that only 27 percent of Americans have valid passports, compared to about 40 percent of Canadians who hold passports.The bill has received support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and travel industry groups, McHugh noted.North Country to lobby in WashingtonBack in the North Country, business leaders are taking the lead in lobbying against the passport rule’s effect on the North Country economy. On May 9 and 10, a delegation of North Country and Canadian leaders will travel to Washington to meet with congressional leaders.“We’ve asked for an independent economic impact assessment on the new rule,” said Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce CEO Garry Douglas, organizer of the annual Washington trip. “They absolutely refuse to do that because, believe it or not, they say there will be no economic impact. I don’t know how they can say such things with a straight face, but there you have it.”Douglas is the author of a report that said cross-border trade accounted for $1.53 billion of the Clinton County economy in 2004.“We ought to be real careful before we mess with that,” Douglas said.State Olympic Regional Development Authority CEO Ted Blazer will also be a member of the 15-member delegation to Washington. He said ORDA recognizes the contribution of Canadian tourism for its Olympic venues and ski centers.“With closer equalization of the (currency) exchange rate and with our upgraded facilities in the last two years, we’re very attractive,” Blazer said. “It’s only two hours or less to the lower rim of Montreal.”In the winter, Canadian tourism accounts for close to 20 percent of visitors to ORDA venues, Blazer noted.“It’s been an increase in the last few years, which I think is very encouraging,” he added.Also booked for the tip is Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sylvie Nelson. Raised in Quebec, Nelson said Canadians are sometimes intimidated by the increased security on the border, which she said hurts Adirondack tourism.“When you look at Quebecers coming into the U.S., there’s a whole intimidation factor as well; there’s a lot of anxiety,” Nelson said.Nelson quoted Canadian press reports that cross-border tourism has dipped to levels not seen since the SARS virus scare in 2003. She said she suspects the reason is anxiety and misconceptions that the passport rule —implemented this year for air and sea travel — is already in effect at land crossings.“There’s already rumors that you need a passport, and there’s been so much talk and changes,” she said. “Saranac Lake will definitely be affected negatively by that.”Homeland Security officials like Knocke argue that there can be no economic prosperity without national security.“There is clearly a recognition that life along the border is unique and it’s not uncommon for border residents to cross a couple of times again for business or pleasure,” Knocke said. “But there could be a tremendous economic burden, if they want to consider the economic consequences of being wrong and, God forbid, having some sort of attack on our country.”Such arguments are not swaying North Country congressional members, however.“At the end of the day, I am very concerned about homeland security issues, but there has been no evidence that requiring passports on the northern border would make us safer,” Gillibrand said.