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Facing widespread opposition from states on the Canadian border for a plan that would require U.S. citizens to show passports in order to cross back and forth over the border, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff said that the government will come up with a cheaper alternative but so far, he hasn't identified what it will be.
A new regulation, scheduled to be effected in 2008, would require U.S. citizens to show passports every time they cross the border, whether it be for business or to attend a sporting or entertainment event.
So far though, while Homeland Security officials have said there will be a cheaper alternative than obtaining a $97 passport which takes several weeks to get, so far they haven't said what the alternative will be although there has been talk of an inexpensive identification card.
Chertoff said that his agency is "working hard to make sure we do it right".
Beginning in 2008, travelers crossing the borders would be required to show a passport or one of four other secure documents. The most common form of identification currently used is a driver's license or birth certificate.
Gov. George Pataki and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton have urged federal officials to drop their current plan and develop a less expensive form of ID that is easier to obtain. 10-19-05
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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