Washington, DC (December 19, 2007) – Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX) today released the following statement applauding the delay of an initiative that would require travelers to have passports at all U.S. borders by summer 2008. The omnibus budget bill, which Congress will finalize today and the President is expected to sign into law, delays the implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative until June 2009, or until the Departments of State and Homeland Security can certify that they are able to handle the new procedures. Had the language not been changed, travelers crossing the Mexican border by land would have been required to have a passport starting as soon as next summer.

“Our region’s economic well-being hinges on the free flow of travel across our borders. This summer’s outlandish backlogs clearly indicate that our government is far from ready to handle the traffic these passport restrictions would trigger,” Hinojosa said. “This responsible delay will ensure that our cross-border travel does not turn into the chaotic nightmare that hassled American and international travelers alike last summer.”