Washington, D.C. – Today Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), joined by representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union and The Cato Institute, released its report, Border Security: PASS Card Fails on Cost, Privacy. 

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, slated to go in effect in 2008, requires U.S. citizens and all travelers to show a passport or other document approved by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in order to enter the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.  The State Department and DHS are locked in a heated battle over what type of technology should be used in the new system, which will impact commerce, travelers, and taxpayers.  The PASS Card, or People Access Security Service, may be embedded with an RFID (radio frequency identification) chip that could be read from 30 to 50 feet away.

CAGW’s report questions whether the cost to travel, commerce, and taxpayers outweighs any benefit of the new PASS card.  The federal government’s cost estimates have been notoriously low in similar projects.  For example, the estimated cost of the REAL ID Act was $100 million, but current estimates are that REAL ID could eclipse $17.3 billion.

The following is an excerpt from the statement delivered by CAGW President Tom Schatz:

Americans should be protected from future terrorist attacks, but that can be done without infringing on citizens’ wallets and privacy.  As usual, the government’s first solution is an expensive, intrusive form of identification.  People and commerce should flow freely without burdening taxpayers and leaving Americans vulnerable to a potential invasion of privacy.  It is likely that when all is said and done, our pockets will be emptier and the borders will not be more secure.

The report, written by Katherine Walkenhorst, Policy Associate for CAGW, is available at www.cagw.org.

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.