WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressmen Bart Stupak (D-MI) and John M. McHugh (R-NY), co-chairs of the Congressional Northern Border Caucus, are spearheading an effort to help ensure that implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) will not significantly impact commerce, travel, and trade between the U.S. and Canada.  Stupak, McHugh, and 19 other caucus members are urging the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and State to fully address economic and technical concerns of border communities before implementing new rules regarding land traffic between the two countries.

Stupak and McHugh both underscored the need for WHTI to be implemented in a way that does not damage trade and cross-border tourism. 

“Commerce and trade between the U.S. and Canada is an economic engine that generates upwards of $400 billion per year for our country and supports over 170,000 Michigan jobs,” Stupak said.  “While we certainly must ensure safe and secure borders, we can achieve that goal without damaging the trade, tourism and commerce that benefit both of our countries.”

“In upstate New York, and across the Northern Border, the ease with which travelers can cross between the U.S. and Canada is central to the economic viability of communities and our nation as a whole,” McHugh added.  “It is imperative that DHS and State fully examine and take steps to alleviate any potential negative impact of WHTI, as we simply cannot allow such significant changes to be made at the expense of tourism, commerce, and travel.”

A letter from Stupak, McHugh and caucus members is being delivered to the two agencies today.   “As members of the Congressional Northern Border Caucus, we are writing to renew our call for a review of the available facts, including a comprehensive economic analysis in advance of any proposed rule for final implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI),” the letter states. 

Under WHTI, travelers crossing the border between the U.S. and Canada may be required to carry passports as soon as 2008, depending on the timetable set by DHS.  The letter notes that Congress recently advised the agency to delay implementation of the new passport rules for land travel until as late as June of 2009, so that there would be ample time to assess the economic impacts of the rule changes. 

“We urge you to use the time that Congress has provided you,” the lawmakers noted.  “WHTI is an enormous change, and a rushed or flawed implementation process has the potential to be economically devastating for Northern Border communities.”

The letter goes on to request that the DHS and State address three key areas surrounding WHTI implementation, including whether the technology is available to fully implement the PASS Card, an alternative, less expensive form of documentation that is currently being developed.  The letter also requests that the Departments of Homeland Security and State demonstrate that personnel and other resources are available to prevent travel delays.  Finally, the lawmakers’ letter requests a full assessment of WHTI’s potential economic impact.

“The stakes for Northern Border communities are extremely high: Canadian travelers spent over $10 billion dollars in the United States in 2005, and the vast majority of those travelers entered the country by land,” the members wrote.  “Any economic or bureaucratic impediments to travel could jeopardize thousands of local jobs in border states… American businesses deserve a full accounting of the potential cost of WHTI, so that we can have an informed public discussion before any final rule is proposed.”

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NOTE: Complete text of the legislators’ letter follows.

February 21, 2007

Michael Chertoff

Secretary

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Office of the Secretary

Washington, DC 20528

Henrietta H. Fore

Under Secretary for Management

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Chertoff and Under Secretary Fore:

As members of the Congressional Northern Border Caucus, we are writing to renew our call for a review of the available facts, including a comprehensive economic analysis, in advance of any proposed rule for final implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). 

In the Fiscal Year 2007 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act, Congress extended the deadline for WHTI implementation to June 1, 2009.  This extension was granted so that WHTI could be implemented properly and all of the economic and technical impacts of the Initiative could be fully considered.  We urge you to use the time that Congress has provided you.  WHTI is an enormous change, and a rushed or flawed implementation process has the potential to be economically devastating for Northern Border communities.

As you know, in May 2006 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report expressing concerns about the ability of DHS and State to meet the original January 2008 deadline.  This report was one of the factors that led Congress to extend the deadline to June 2009.  While DHS and State have the legal authority to begin implementing WHTI as soon as January 2008, we are concerned about the impact that such an ambitious schedule would have on border communities.  If your departments intend to implement WHTI before June 2009, we ask that you provide Members of Congress with a full accounting of how you plan to overcome the challenges outlined in the GAO Report and in this letter.  We are requesting a written response stating your intentions with regard to WHTI implementation, including a summary of your current progress in the following areas:

1.)    Technology: What is the current state of the PASS Card program?  How will the proposed PASS technology address the privacy, cost, and travel delay concerns that have been raised by Members of Congress? 

2.) Resources: What are the levels of funding, technology upgrades, staffing increases and other support that will be required to implement WHTI at all border crossing locations?  What steps are being taken to ensure that equipment and personnel will be ready to work with the new system?  What steps are being taken to ensure that the new system does not cause excessive travel delays in its first few months of operation?

3.) Economic Impact: Members of the Northern Border Caucus have repeatedly called for a complete economic analysis to take place in advance of any WHTI rule.  Studies by the Canadian Tourism Commission and other groups have suggested that American businesses stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars if the new requirements interfere with existing trade and tourism.  The stakes for Northern Border communities are extremely high: Canadian travelers spent over $10 billion dollars in the United States in 2005, and the vast majority of those travelers entered the country by land.  Any economic or bureaucratic impediments to travel could jeopardize thousands of local jobs in border states.  We ask that the Departments of Homeland Security and State address these concerns as part of their overall WHTI plan.

We are especially concerned in light of the WHTI Air Rule issued in November, which characterized the economic impact of WHTI Air implementation as “marginal,” and its impact on small businesses as “not significant.”  We hope that the economic analysis for WHTI land and sea implementation will take the potential economic impact of WHTI more seriously.  While there is room for debate about the scale, experts agree that WHTI implementation has the potential to cause severe economic dislocation on both sides of the border, especially if the new system is implemented in a rushed or disorganized manner.  Any fair economic analysis must address and include these concerns.  American businesses deserve a full accounting of the potential cost of WHTI, so that we can have an informed public discussion before any final rule is proposed. 

As you know, the law requires a complete economic analysis for any regulatory action of this size.  We ask that this analysis be produced in advance of any proposed final rule for WHTI and that it address the concerns listed above.  The economic stakes involved in WHTI implementation are extremely high, and it is imperative that the final regulations be based on the best available economic and technical information.  We believe that it is possible to ensure border security without compromising the trade and travel that our communities depend on and we look forward to a final rule which takes the economic well-being of border communities into account.

Sincerely,

Bart Stupak

John M. McHugh

Thomas Allen

Dave Camp

John Dingell

Michael Doyle

Phil English

Brian Higgins

Jay Inslee

Dale Kildee

Sander Levin

Donald Manzullo

Thaddeus McCotter

Jim McDermott

Michael Michaud

Candice Miller

James Oberstar

Collin Peterson

Earl Pomeroy

Louise Slaughter

Peter Welch