Washington -- The House of Representatives on Friday voted overwhelmingly to delay new federal rules requiring Americans entering the United States by land or sea from other countries in North America to carry passports.
By a 379-45 vote, the House approved delaying enforcement of the rule, which was to begin next January, to June 1, 2009. The vote followed by one day approval for the same measure by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
House members cited the backlog of passport applications for delaying enforcement.
Faced with an onslaught of passport applications the Homeland Security Department on June 8 temporarily suspended the passport requirement for Americans entering the United States by air from other countries in North America.
The passport requirement for air travelers went into effect in January, but through September travelers may show border officials State Department receipts for their passport applications, in lieu of the passports themselves, along with government-issued identification documents.
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