Canadian Press
September 28, 2006
WASHINGTON (CP) - American politicians were still wrangling Thursday over formally endorsing a delay in requiring passports or another secure document from Canadians entering the United States by car or ferry.
A bipartisan committee of top senators and representatives agreed late Monday to a 17-month reprieve in the new rules that were supposed to go into effect Jan. 1, 2008.
Since then, Republican leaders in the House of Representatives raised objections, including House Speaker Dennis Hastert and James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House judiciary committee.
The two men were key architects of the strict new identification requirements, passed by Congress in 2004 in response to the 2001 terrorist attacks.
The delay until June 1, 2009 has widespread support among many, especially politicians from northern border states and others where Canadians spend a lot of money.
But as the critical mid-term elections loom Nov. 7, there's a lot of backroom skirmishes and horse-trading among those who don't want to be perceived by voters as soft on any security measure and want even more added to the legislation.
"It's a high stakes poker game," said Scotty Greenwood, executive director of the Canadian American Business Council.
"We hope that the delay will stick but it's too soon to count on that at this point."
Congress is expected to adjourn Friday so legislators can campaign in earnest. The delay measure is part of a key US$35-billion funding bill for new fencing along the U.S. border with Mexico that also authorizes studying the feasibility of a security barrier at the Canadian line.
If U.S. politicians leave Capitol Hill without voting on the bill, the measure will hang in limbo for weeks.
House Majority Leader John Boehner of Ohio said Thursday the legislation would be considered on Friday.
Top senators insisted on continuing the delay, including New Hampshire Republican Judd Gregg, chairman of the Senate homeland security appropriations committee.
Canada has long argued the time frame for the new ID is too tight to implement properly without causing havoc at the border.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been pushing the issue with Congress and President George W. Bush.
Any delay would not affect Canadians arriving in the United States by air or ship. They'll need passports by Jan. 1.