Reynolds: Get your act together

Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, R-Amherst, voted to delay by 17 months the requirement for U.S. citizens to have a passport for re-entering the country when traveling from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda.

The amendment passed, 379-45, as part of the appropriations bill funding the Department of Homeland Security.

"This vote sends a message loud and clear to the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security: get your act together," Reynolds said.

"As I have said time and again, the turf war between these two agencies is inexcusable and borderline incompetent," Reynolds said. "With this delay, Congress can continue its efforts to put pressure on the State Department and DHS to develop a plan for travelers that is simple, economical and accessible for all U.S. citizens."

In addition to voting for the amendment, Reynolds also has been putting pressure on the State Department in relation to its handling of the surge in passport requests through the first six months of 2007.

Reynolds has sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office asking them to investigate why the State Department was unable to handle the surge in passport requests, as well as how the State Department will handle future surges in passport requests related to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.