Schumer Grills DHS And State Dept Over Upcoming Implementation Of New Pass Cards For NYS' Northern Border - Fears Exist Over Quality Of Cards' Technology And Ability Of Agencies To Efficiently Implement System

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Schumer Grills DHS And State Dept Over Upcoming Implementation Of New Pass Cards For NYS' Northern Border - Fears Exist Over Quality Of Cards' Technology And Ability Of Agencies To Efficiently Implement System

Senator Says the Technology is Nowhere Near Ready to Secure the Border and Efficiently Allow Travelers to Cross Between Countries

Schumer Demands Detailed Answers from State Dept and DHS on Quality of Technology and how System will be Implemented so New Yorkers Don't Suffer Huge Delays when Crossing Border

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State Department, grilled the agencies over the upcoming implementation of the new People Access Security Service (PASS) Card. The State Department will begin accepting applications on February 1, 2008 for new PASS Cards, intended as an alternative to passport books for use at land ports of entry. However, Schumer expressed serious skepticism that the federal agencies are prepared to implement the new cards and warned that by prematurely moving forward, they would create a chaotic situation mirroring last summer's unforeseen passport application backlog, which ultimately became so severe DHS decided to temporarily rescind the new travel regulations.

In his letters to the State Dept and DHS today, Schumer posed a series of detailed questions on the process used to determine the most secure technology for the PASS cards and the steps taken to ensure the implementation of the new system would not cause huge backlogs along New York's northern border.

"We need to hold DHS and the State Department accountable for rushing headfirst into implementing a plan that has the potential to both wreak havoc at New York's northern border and undermine our safety," said Senator Schumer. "New York residents, who will suffer the brunt of prematurely implementing PASS cards, deserve good answers to these tough questions."

During this year's transition to new travel documents, the State Department will begin accepting applications on February 1, 2008 for new PASS Cards. The State Department has offered the PASS Card as a possible alternative to passports required under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). However, there are existing concerns over the security of the technology in the cards and whether the federal agencies are adequately prepared to efficiently employ the system without harming cross-border commerce and causing huge delays at New York's northern border.

Schumer has continually argued that the proposed PASS Card will offer all of the inconvenience and inefficiencies of a standard passport book, while providing none of the security assurances for individuals' private information. Schumer has also noted that PASS cards could be cost prohibitive for the average family and has specifically asked that the State Department to conduct an economic impact study on the economies in upstate New York and other border states, as well as bring in an independent auditor to evaluate the entire program.

Fears on the introduction of PASS cards have only intensified following last summer's botched implementation of the new WHTI rules, a debacle that triggered a huge backlog in passport applications that ultimately became so severe that DHS temporarily banned the new travel regulations. It caused the number of Americans applying for passports to skyrocket from12 million in 2002 to 18 million last year. The unexpected spike led to crippling backlogs during the first half of the year, jeopardizing countless travel plans and forcing Americans to wait months for new passports.

To avoid a similar debacle and ensure that the PASS Cards are tamperproof and contain the most secure technology, Schumer today demanded answers from the State Department and DHS on a series of questions. They included:

* What technology trials, if any, has the State Department conducted to determine whether the radio frequency identification chips embedded in the new PASS Cards will be functional and secure under realistic northern border conditions?

* How many PASS Card applications does the State Department expect to receive and process in 2008? How many passport book applications does the Department expect to process?

* Does the State Department have adequate staff and resources to process the expected number of passport book and PASS Card applications without increasing the current processing times of about three weeks for an expedited application and four to six weeks for a regular application?

* Will the State Department commit to refunding the expedite fee of any applicant who does not receive a passport book or PASS Card within the three week maximum time stated on the State Department's website?

* What early warning systems, if any, has the State Department established to ensure that any incipient backlog is detected and addressed immediately, before it becomes a crisis?

* What contingency plans, if any, has the State Department developed to deal with any backlog that compromises the Department's ability to process outstanding applications within the time frames expected by applicants?

* Will the State Department commit to reexamining the PASS Card program after six months to determine whether processing fees can be reduced?

Schumer has been a longtime champion in arguing that additional time is sorely needed for DHS to ensure that WHTI can be implemented without disrupting cross-border commerce and travel.

The United States and Canada have the largest bi-national trade relationship in the world. Trade with Canada supports an estimated 350,000 jobs in New York alone. Fully 25% of all New York State exports, accounting for $10.5 billion, go to Canada every year. The impact of tourism and spur-of-the-moment trips is also staggering with Canadians accounting for 2.2 million visits to New York in 2002 injecting $389 million into the local economies.

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