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| House Votes to Delay New Passport Program to Prevent Further Travel Problems |
June 15, 2007 |
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Wilson Urges State Dept to Fix Problems & Plan for 2009 Phase
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today voted for an amendment that would delay the start of a new passcard program for land crossings from Mexico and Canada planned for January 2008 until June of 2009 to ensure that it does not cause more problems for American travelers.
The amendment passed with bipartisan support today and is part of the Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2008 (H.R. 2638), which passed 268-150 today, also with Wilson’s support. The legislation will now await consideration by the U.S. Senate.
“I do not believe that the State Department will be ready for this new requirement. They were overwhelmed by the passport requirements and there is no way they are ready for a new program six months from now. We’ve had far too many problems this summer, and most people don’t even know they will need a passcard or how to get it from their government,” Wilson said.
Wilson was on the forefront of this issue, helping more than 500 New Mexicans in May and June who were affected by passport delays. Her office continues to help New Mexicans who are hoping to travel soon.
Wilson also reminds travelers that they will need to provide proof of citizenship to travel to Mexico, Canada, or the Caribbean Islands. Travelers to the Bahamas will still need a passport. Wilson’s website, http://wilson.house.gov, features answers to questions about birth certificates and passports.
Even though the U.S. no longer requires you to have a passport for travel to those countries, those countries still require you to prove citizenship. That means a birth certificate, or naturalization papers if you are a naturalized citizen.
The passport accommodation does not affect entry requirements to other countries. Americans traveling to a country that requires a passport or proof of citizenship must still present those documents. In other words, this is a requirement imposed by the country of destination, not the U.S. federal government.
New Mexicans with questions about birth certificates can check Rep. Wilson’s website at http://wilson.house.gov. There, travelers will find information about where to go for a birth certificate in New Mexico, and what to do if the traveler is a naturalized citizen or born in another state.
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