Temporary Suspension of Passport Rules?

[tabnab]

Has anyone seen this story yet?

 

By MATTHEW LEE and DEVLIN BARRETT - Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON(AP) The Bush administration is poised to suspend a major post-9/11 security initiative to cope with increasingly angry complaints from Americans whose summer vacations are threatened by new passport rules.

A proposal set to be announced as early as Friday will temporarily waive a requirement that U.S. passports be used for air travel to and from Canada and Mexico, provided the traveler can prove he or she has already applied for a passport, officials said Thursday.

The suspension in the rules is aimed at clearing a massive backlog of passport applications at the State Department that has slowed processing to a crawl, they said. Some officials said the change would last several months; others said as long as six months.

But the plan had run into opposition from the Homeland Security Department, which controls U.S. border points and fears the move could make it easier for terrorists or other undesirables to enter the country, the officials said.

Instead of a passport, travelers will now be able to present a State Department receipt showing their passport application is being processed, and a government-issued ID such as a driver's license.

Homeland Security signed off on the proposal on Thursday after consultations with the State Department, the White House and members of Congress, who have been deluged with complaints from furious constituents, according to four officials at the agencies involved.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been announced.

"This is pre-decisional, and I have no comment," DHS spokesman Russ Knocke said.

[Cruising89143]

Sorry but I don't agree with suspending anything. Folks have known long enough that passports were going to be needed and if they did not get them then let them stay home. Those waiting until the last minute to worry about this are now the ones paying for it. So be it.

[Cuizer2]

Sorry but I don't agree with suspending anything. Folks have known long enough that passports were going to be needed and if they did not get them then let them stay home. Those waiting until the last minute to worry about this are now the ones paying for it. So be it.

 

They are all Republicans and Bush does not want to get them mad. :eek:

[MGoBlue2]

They are all Republicans and Bush does not want to get them mad. :eek:

No, the Republicans, the important ones anyway, have all had passports for years.

[My2Kitties]

I try and always look at both sides of things, but I've known about needing passports for a couple years now...when I got mine, you had to go to the courthouse and they had limited hours...now you go to the post office and most of the post offices have cameras to take the pictures...how much easier could it be...no suspensions necessary!

[nodumblond]

Sorry but I don't agree with suspending anything. Folks have known long enough that passports were going to be needed and if they did not get them then let them stay home. Those waiting until the last minute to worry about this are now the ones paying for it. So be it.

 

I'm with you. How many times have they amended/postponed these requirements? I know, it's easy for me to say, I've had my passport for years (long enough that I'm going to allow for at LEAST a year when I have to renew it!), but still . . .

 

. . . and yes, we have newbies sailing with us in December: we've told them to apply for their passports NOW.

 

Sorry to sound unsympathetic, but at what point do we ask people to take responsibility for their own decisions and/or ignorance?

 

Okay, I have my fire-retardant suit on -- fire away . . . :D

 

Mary

[shmthaus]

They are all Republicans and Bush does not want to get them mad. :eek:

 

Ok, my DW and I are Republicans and we had ours way long before we sailed in January. We made the decision to go ahead and get ours well before we needed them because we figured others would wait till the last minute.

 

I don't agree with the decision either, but why is it the Republicans fault???????

 

It would be interesting to find out if it was a Democrats suggestion and the Prez agreed with it.....that statement just doesn't make sense....

[cb at sea]

Oh for craps sake--if you don't have a passport, just cross the Mexican border with the rest of the illegals! Really, tho--why not secure our borders BEFORE you hassle law-abiding Americans?

[Laurie12820]

Oh for craps sake--if you don't have a passport, just cross the Mexican border with the rest of the illegals! Really, tho--why not secure our borders BEFORE you hassle law-abiding Americans?

 

AMEN! I love how its so hard for us US Citizens to get back into our own country when there are people still entering our country illegally...I give up...:rolleyes:

[My2Kitties]

Oh for craps sake--if you don't have a passport, just cross the Mexican border with the rest of the illegals! Really, tho--why not secure our borders BEFORE you hassle law-abiding Americans?

 

hehehe!

[sajeffc]

I paid the extra $30 for expedited service and we got ours in ten days door to door.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Oh for craps sake--if you don't have a passport, just cross the Mexican border with the rest of the illegals! Really, tho--why not secure our borders BEFORE you hassle law-abiding Americans?

 

No Kidding!!

 

The 12 week deadline is okay, however some are taking much longer (I read that someone was on week 18) and I really don't think the applicant is to blame.

 

###

[perkyblue]

Sorry but I don't agree with suspending anything. Folks have known long enough that passports were going to be needed and if they did not get them then let them stay home. Those waiting until the last minute to worry about this are now the ones paying for it. So be it.

 

Unfortunately, it's not only the ones who waited until the last minute who are having problems. I'm really glad we decided to go on a Caribbean cruise and not a European cruise because my dad is having a heck of a time getting the passport that he applied for in early February (for our early Aug. cruise).

 

With the first passport attempt, they rejected his photo because there was a tiny scratch in the corner, not even anywhere near his face! So then he got a new photo and resent everything, and the passport office apparently has no record of ever receiving the anything the second time!

 

I don't know if lifting the passport requirement is the best idea, but they have to do something to help travelers out when they're having so many problems getting their job done right.

[Sue L]

AMEN! I love how its so hard for us US Citizens to get back into our own country when there are people still entering our country illegally...I give up...:rolleyes:

 

 

Jay Leno the other night was talking about the passport issue and how it was a 3 month wait. He said that it was amazing that it took US citizens 3 months to get out of the country but if are an illegal and want to get in all you had to do was walk across the border.

[Obaybee..tryingthisagain]

I am disgusted with this. The 9/11 Intelligence Bill was signed into law on Dec. '04. In April of '05 Americans were made aware of the passport requirement.

I just don't get why in June of 2008, Bush wants to make concessions.

If indeed the purpose for mandating this passport requirement was to secure our borders, then why the concession?

 

This and Paris serving 3 days then get summoned to court by the judge that sentenced her to maybe be placed back behind bars totally blows me away.

[whogo]

Sorry but I don't agree with suspending anything. Folks have known long enough that passports were going to be needed and if they did not get them then let them stay home. Those waiting until the last minute to worry about this are now the ones paying for it. So be it.

Yeah, they knew it would take 8 weeks to get them. No, it will take 10 weeks. No, it will take 12 weeks. Well, they say it will take up to twelve weeks, but they're lying again. Just ask those who have waited longer.

 

The US Dept. of State knew the changes were coming, they knew there would be an increase in applications, and they still can't handle the increase in spite of the delays in implementation. Don't blame the people who apply for passports, blame the government that can't handle the request.

[ebonybee]

EXCUSE ME!!! I have had a passport for the last twenty years. However, by luck of the draw my passport expires this year. I cruised in April and took all our passports because idiot son has been known to nearly miss the boat...plus with an elderly mother that is not in the best of health , I had to be prepared to fly home.

 

Submitted renewal application the first Monday after the cruise and unfortunately it has gotten caught up in the huge backlog. I think what is unfair is the expedite system..it rewards late planners WITH MONEY, which causes us poor folks passports to be further delayed. They should have had to do like I did for my first passport...go in person to the passport office and wait all day!! (just kidding sorta) I also wished they had a system which didn't require you to submit your old passport while awaiting a renewal. That doesn't makes sense to me.

 

Many countries require you to have a minimum of 6 months remaining on your passport before you are allowed to enter their country--China was very strict about this in 2002. So many people whose passports aren't expiring till early next year must get in the passport queue now. I also believe they should have had a renewals only processing office.

 

You hear the stories about everybody calling their congressman--I haven't but their actions also further delays mine...so to the back of the bus again!

 

If the act is rescinded, I fear I will never get my passport because they will go to normal workdays to save overtime money, but this won't help people who are traveling to countries other than Mexico and Canada. It just frees us the phone lines in Congress members offices. I intended to call my Congressman but not about passports...there are some issues such as illegal immigration that I wanted to discuss.

 

So a lot of us who didn't wait till the last minute to submit, put a lot of thought into the decision on when to submit, but just haven't whined to our congressman or paid to expedite are the real losers.

 

Here's hoping it arrives before my August trip!

[Nitra]

They are all Republicans and Bush does not want to get them mad. :eek:

 

Why do you say this?? It makes absolutely no sense.

[TPKeller]

I think these are all good questions, but they need to be directed to the passport office, not the citizens.

 

On my cruise last week, we had a table mate who, the week before the cruise, had to rush a replacement copy of her birth certificate, because the passport agency had been in posession of her original copy and application for fifteen weeks! That's almost four months...

 

Despite assurances from the agency that the passport would be overnighted before she had to leave home, if she hadn't taken the extra step to get that second BC, she would have been standing on the pier waving as we left, because no passport ever showed up.

 

The government was obviously not prepared to implement their own rules here. I am at a loss as to why, it certainly wouldn't have been that hard to come up with a reasonably accurate estimate of how many new passports would suddenly be required, and then to realize that they would not be able to handle the extra volume. Certainly the ICE folks keep some sort of measurements about percentages of travelers using passports vs. birth certificates, there is no way this should have been a surprise.

 

Theron

[SLH]

Yeah, they knew it would take 8 weeks to get them. No, it will take 10 weeks. No, it will take 12 weeks. Well, they say it will take up to twelve weeks, but they're lying again. Just ask those who have waited longer.

 

The US Dept. of State knew the changes were coming, they knew there would be an increase in applications, and they still can't handle the increase in spite of the delays in implementation. Don't blame the people who apply for passports, blame the government that can't handle the request.

I agree with you. My nephew applied 12 weeks ago and is still waiting. The government should have had their act together before enacting the law.

[ebonybee]

I know this is not a politics forum, but just think...if the State Department will have to process 12 million folks visas..work permits...whatever----when in this century will I get my damn renewed passport??

[Obaybee..tryingthisagain]

I know this is not a politics forum, but just think...if the State Department will have to process 12 million folks visas..work permits...whatever----when in this century will I get my damn renewed passport??

 

 

LOL

Point taken! I hadn't thought about that angle yet.

[weelv2cruise]

Sorry folks, just have to flame. I am sick and tired of the brainwashing from politial parties, media, rich people, and the Marie Barones!

 

Stop blaming everyone but yourself! Time was given and you failed to act. If there is a real delay, contact your Congressman with your documentation, they actually have a representative who will assist you and get it done quickly. (Sorry, this requires a little bit of effort on your part and not just a spoiled child drop, cry and roll!)

 

With that said. I don't care what political party you're from...As an American (you know, those of us who were born, raised and believe in OUR WAY OF LIFE and know what the words legal and illegal mean) have a responsibility to put our personal likes/dislikes/and passions aside to know and support what is best for our WAY OF LIFE (Country). That means whether we disagree with it or not, we should know the difference we have the responsibiloity to do the right thing. Which always does not mean what we would like to happen...it's always for the betterment of the COUNTRY (notice I didn't say individual). Be responsible and understand the long range ramifications of your actions.

[Cruising89143]

Yeah, they knew it would take 8 weeks to get them. No, it will take 10 weeks. No, it will take 12 weeks. Well, they say it will take up to twelve weeks, but they're lying again. Just ask those who have waited longer.

 

The US Dept. of State knew the changes were coming, they knew there would be an increase in applications, and they still can't handle the increase in spite of the delays in implementation. Don't blame the people who apply for passports, blame the government that can't handle the request.

 

And you know what else? Everyone knew that passports were going to be required and many held off to the last minute to get theirs. Again I say too bad. This has been going on for over two years. Now those same folks that sat around waiting are the same ones complaining. :rolleyes:

[willysgrandma]

Just how do they expect you to get a receipt? I mailed in my passport renewal - I had no receipt.

 

The government should have made provisions for having more employees trained to issue passports when they put this law into effect.

 

I can't tell you how many clients wanted to do last minute trips to Mexico this year and can't because they don't have passports.

 

It's a shame that there are not manyh all inclusive vacation spots in the U.S. - we probably could have filled them this year.