There is a new effort to find an alternative to a controversial proposal that would require Americans to have passports when entering or returning from even nearby countries.
Originally a plan to improve security after 9/11, opponents of the passport requirement proposed by the Bush administration have said it would unduly restrict travel and tourism, and harm the economy. Only one in five Americans have a passport, which typically costs up to $100 to obtain.
Now, the Homeland Security and State departments are trying to come up with a cheap, convenient way for travelers to prove their identities while crossing the border.
According to a story in U.S.A. Today, the Bush administration will propose new forms of identification next spring, perhaps a special border-crossing card that is light and easy to carry.
The original plan would require U.S. citizens to show passports or similar IDs instead of just driver's licenses or birth certificates when re-entering the country from Canada, Mexico, Panama, Bermuda and the Caribbean. It also would require Canadians who can now enter with driver's licenses to show a passport to enter the U.S.
Besides economic arguments against the plan, some have said it would be ineffective against terrorists, who aren't likely to use official checkpoints to cross borders.