Plan Ahe

ad. You know, I posted about new passport requirements for entry into the US all the way back in September. I wasn't - am still am not - all that happy with the increased requirements on citizens when illegals are being given kid glove treatment. That's another discussion, however. It seems that a lot of people are pitching fits at their elected officials because they did not allow enough time for a new passport to be processed. Yes, the State Department is being swamped, yes, they are 'way behind in getting them issued.

But what in the world are people doing not planning ahead?

A proposal set to be announced as early as Friday will temporarily waive a requirement that U.S. passports be used for air travel to and from Canada and Mexico, provided the traveler can prove he or she has already applied for a passport, officials said Thursday.

The suspension in the rules is aimed at clearing a massive backlog of passport applications at the State Department that has slowed processing to a crawl, they said. Some officials said the change would last several months; others said as long as six months.

But the plan had run into opposition from the Homeland Security Department, which controls U.S. border points and fears the move could make it easier for terrorists or other undesirables to enter the country, the officials said.

Instead of a passport, travelers will now be able to present a State Department receipt showing their passport application is being processed, and a government-issued ID such as a driver's license.

Homeland Security signed off on the proposal on Thursday after consultations with the State Department, the White House and members of Congress, who have been deluged with complaints from furious constituents, according to four officials at the agencies involved.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been announced.

"This is pre-decisional, and I have no comment," DHS spokesman Russ Knocke said.

Under the plan, those without passports would receive additional security scrutiny when they travel, which could include extra questioning or bag checks, according to one official familiar with the discussions.

The suspension will give the State Department time to deal with a surge in applications that has overwhelmed its processing centers since the new rules took effect earlier this year.

When my wife booked the cruise we just got back from - in December - we immediately got her and the kid's passport applications in (I already had one). We had no problem at all and had the documents well before they were needed. I can understand a few people having to travel on short notice being in a bind, but seriously, if you are booking overseas travel you usually do so with a pretty good lead time. And these rules have been widely publicized for a long time now. There's an old, snarky saying, "poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine." I think that applies here to all but a few of the people complaining.