WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (MI-11) and delegates of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group resolved to continue its close scrutiny of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, during the groups’ annual meeting May 6-7.
“If this law continues to inaccurately view and treat our Canadian border as it does the Mexican border, our state’s economy will be significantly hurt,” said McCotter.
The initiative, which was mandated by Congress last December in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, will require all citizens of the U.S., Canada, Bermuda and Mexico to have a passport or other accepted secure travel document to enter the United States beginning January 1, 2008.
Agreeing with numerous economic and civic groups, including the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, McCotter was successful in having the American and Canadian legislators recommend the following:
“In dealing with the Canada-U.S. issues of public security and prosperity, including defense against terrorism, our two countries should work closely to develop a bilateral security structure by extension of the current bilateral Smart Border Accord and/or a new treaty relationship.”
###