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Click here for information on lobbying OMB for a full economic impact
study on WHTI, including a sample letter to express your support.
Click here for a detailed review of our REAL-ID solution!
Click here to review a full presentation of our thoughts concerning
WHTI and Real-ID.
Business For Economic Security
Trade and Tourism (BESTT)
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Position Statement
America's borders -- land, sea and air -- are our primary ports of entry
for billions of dollars in goods and services, along with millions of
tourists, business visitors, workers, and other foreign nationals who
contribute to our national economy. Lying at the heart of this system
are the land border crossings across the 49th parallel, as well as the
ferry systems on both coasts, and in some inland waterways.
Combined, these crossings account for $1.2 billion dollars a day in
trade, which supports 5.2 million jobs.
In 2004, the US Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and
Terrorism Prevention Act, and President Bush signed it into law on
December 17th of that year. Among its many provisions is the
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a mandate that the
Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of
State, develop and implement a plan to require U.S. citizens and
foreign nationals to present a passport, or other verifiable and secure
document which can ensure a person’s identity, upon seeking
entrance into the United States. Statute requires the plan must be
fully implemented by January 2008.
Since its announcement, the provision requiring passports has
caused substantial concern along the entirety of the US/Canadian
border, both for Canadians as well as Americans. Such a provision
has the potential to further decrease border crossings, an area which
has continued to see decreasing numbers since 9/11. Furthermore,
there has been little if any explanation from the US Administration or
the US Congress on how requiring passports will increase the
security along the border.
In March of 2005, the elected leaders of Mexico, Canada and the
United States announced the creation of the Security and Prosperity
Partnership (SPP), which called for advancing the common security
and prosperity of all three nations. One of its key goals called for the
implementation of, “a border-facilitation strategy to build capacity and
improve the legitimate flow of people and cargo at our shared
borders.” The SPP and other agreements call for using advanced
technologies in order to create a smarter border for all three countries.
In May of 2005, Congress passed the Real-ID bill. This bill calls for
standardized state-issued identification, generally in the form of a
driver’s license or state-issued ID. This standardization must be
implemented by May 2008, four months after the deadline for WHTI.
The Real-ID/Drivers’ License Act calls for each state to adjudicate the
status of an individual in the country prior to issuing the ID. Failure by
a state to comply with the provisions of the Real-ID/Driver’s License
Act will mean that residents of that state will not be able to use their
state-issued ID for any federal purpose, including boarding domestic
flights.
While the majority of Americans and Canadians have a drivers’
license, and carry it with them at all times, the numbers of those who
hold a passport is far smaller. Currently, just over 20% of Americans
have a passport, and approximately 40% of Canadians have one.
Furthermore, these documents are much larger and more
cumbersome than a drivers’ license or state-issued ID card, and few
carry them on a regular basis.
The BESTT coalition supports secure border crossing document
solutions that:
• Acknowledge and address the economic impact of any
proposed solution
• Include a multi-lateral approach to border management
processes
• Fund extensive marketing and public awareness efforts
• Provide a common implementation date for all types of
crossings
• Describe a clear standard for crossing
• Are inexpensive and easily accessible
• Addresses the unique need for students and children, aged
sixteen and under, to be able to cross the border at a
nominal cost
study on WHTI, including a sample letter to express your support.
Click here for a detailed review of our REAL-ID solution!
Click here to review a full presentation of our thoughts concerning
WHTI and Real-ID.
Business For Economic Security
Trade and Tourism (BESTT)
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Position Statement
America's borders -- land, sea and air -- are our primary ports of entry
for billions of dollars in goods and services, along with millions of
tourists, business visitors, workers, and other foreign nationals who
contribute to our national economy. Lying at the heart of this system
are the land border crossings across the 49th parallel, as well as the
ferry systems on both coasts, and in some inland waterways.
Combined, these crossings account for $1.2 billion dollars a day in
trade, which supports 5.2 million jobs.
In 2004, the US Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and
Terrorism Prevention Act, and President Bush signed it into law on
December 17th of that year. Among its many provisions is the
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a mandate that the
Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of
State, develop and implement a plan to require U.S. citizens and
foreign nationals to present a passport, or other verifiable and secure
document which can ensure a person’s identity, upon seeking
entrance into the United States. Statute requires the plan must be
fully implemented by January 2008.
Since its announcement, the provision requiring passports has
caused substantial concern along the entirety of the US/Canadian
border, both for Canadians as well as Americans. Such a provision
has the potential to further decrease border crossings, an area which
has continued to see decreasing numbers since 9/11. Furthermore,
there has been little if any explanation from the US Administration or
the US Congress on how requiring passports will increase the
security along the border.
In March of 2005, the elected leaders of Mexico, Canada and the
United States announced the creation of the Security and Prosperity
Partnership (SPP), which called for advancing the common security
and prosperity of all three nations. One of its key goals called for the
implementation of, “a border-facilitation strategy to build capacity and
improve the legitimate flow of people and cargo at our shared
borders.” The SPP and other agreements call for using advanced
technologies in order to create a smarter border for all three countries.
In May of 2005, Congress passed the Real-ID bill. This bill calls for
standardized state-issued identification, generally in the form of a
driver’s license or state-issued ID. This standardization must be
implemented by May 2008, four months after the deadline for WHTI.
The Real-ID/Drivers’ License Act calls for each state to adjudicate the
status of an individual in the country prior to issuing the ID. Failure by
a state to comply with the provisions of the Real-ID/Driver’s License
Act will mean that residents of that state will not be able to use their
state-issued ID for any federal purpose, including boarding domestic
flights.
While the majority of Americans and Canadians have a drivers’
license, and carry it with them at all times, the numbers of those who
hold a passport is far smaller. Currently, just over 20% of Americans
have a passport, and approximately 40% of Canadians have one.
Furthermore, these documents are much larger and more
cumbersome than a drivers’ license or state-issued ID card, and few
carry them on a regular basis.
The BESTT coalition supports secure border crossing document
solutions that:
• Acknowledge and address the economic impact of any
proposed solution
• Include a multi-lateral approach to border management
processes
• Fund extensive marketing and public awareness efforts
• Provide a common implementation date for all types of
crossings
• Describe a clear standard for crossing
• Are inexpensive and easily accessible
• Addresses the unique need for students and children, aged
sixteen and under, to be able to cross the border at a
nominal cost
Factoid:
$1.2 billion a day
crosses the
Canada/US Border,
supporting some 5.2
million jobs.
crosses the
Canada/US Border,
supporting some 5.2
million jobs.
Official Position on WHTI