WASHINGTON – Last week, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Michael Chertoff and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced the production of a travel card as an alternative to the passport book that would also meet the requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). As Co-Chairs of the Northern Border Caucus, Congressmen Bart Stupak (D-MI) and John Sweeney (R-NY) sent a letter to the Secretaries requesting a briefing about the new card.

“Successful implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is critical for the districts we represent,” Stupak said. “If a secured document is required under WHTI in order to cross to and from Canada, alternatives to a passport need to be offered. If this card is going to be as secure and inexpensive as they say, I’d like to know about the technology, cost, and implementation of the card.”

The letter cited seven questions related to the application process, cost to constituents, resources for implementation, marketing plans, technology necessary for use, accepted alternative cards already in use, and port re-entry without a card.

The joint announcement came just one week prior to a meeting Stupak will attend in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to discuss the WHTI with the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce. During tomorrow’s meeting, Stupak hopes to hear insight and concerns about the initiative. Stupak hosted a similar meeting in Washington D.C. last Fall where several of the busiest chambers of commerce in the U.S. and Canada expressed concerns about the plan’s potentially negative affect on cross border trade and travel.

“There are still a number of unanswered questions surrounding the details and implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative,” Stupak said. “As the leader of the Northern Border Caucus, I believe we must consider every last detail about the serious need for better border security while also preserving the vibrant economic fabric that has made the United States and Canada the world’s largest bilateral trading partnership. I look forward to meeting with officials from the Departments of State and Homeland Security to discuss those vital details.”

By January 1, 2008, the WHTI will require all U.S. and Canadian citizens to have a passport or other accepted secure document to enter or re-enter the U.S. by land border. Stupak said that all parties agree that security is, and always must be, the nation’s highest priority but they also believe that local input is critical in ensuring an effective security solution.

*For more on the Washington, D.C. Chamber Meeting visit: http://www.house.gov102605nbc.html 

*For more on the Northern Border Caucus visit: http://www.house.gov030105.html

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