Passport requirement delayed until June 09

News Release
Senator Norm Coleman

Washington, D.C. – Senator Norm Coleman today made the following remarks on the extension of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative deadline that was included in the Department of Homeland Security appropriations conference report.
WHTI will require all travelers, including U.S. citizens, to and from Canada, the Americas, 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. The extension will push the deadline to June 2009. The proposed changes were originally scheduled to go into effect by December 31, 2007.
“The extension of this deadline is a win for Minnesotans living near the northern border due to the enormous impact WHTI will have,” said Coleman. “While I share the goal of national security that was the basis for the WHTI proposal, it became evident to me that the timeline for implementation was too ambitious. And despite today’s victory, we still face many challenges in ensuring appropriate implementation of WHTI.  It is essential that we continue working to expand the number and accessibility of documents acceptable for travel and make sure all new documents and technologies are tested for effectiveness.”
As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Coleman has held two hearings on the implementation of WHTI.  He has also held three listening sessions in northern Minnesota to explore the impact of the Initiative. Previously, he had introduced a bipartisan amendment that included a provision for extending the deadline for WHTI to the Immigration Reform Act of 2006, which was passed by the Senate.
 The U.S. House of Representatives approved the 17 month delay Friday. All was left was an expected rubber stamp by the U.S. Senate.

Luke Friedrich
Minnesota Press Secretary
Senator Norm Coleman
651.645.0323