Bart Stupak: “I urge the passage of H.R. 2027. While not a perfect bill, it is a move in the right direction. This bill will establish…”

“I urge the passage of H.R. 2027. While not a perfect bill, it is a move in the right direction. This bill will establish a pilot program that aims to prove that once again, while the Federal Government has good intentions, its regulations can, at times, be overburdensome on American citizens. For years, recreational boaters were permitted to obtain form I-68 from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, or INS, for free. This form allowed the boaters to reenter the United States without inspections on bodies of water along the Canadian border during the navigation season. In my congressional district, which has more shoreline than any congressional district except Alaska, and most of that shoreline is with Canada, we want the freedom to move back and forth without further interference and disruption from the Federal Government. Two years ago, the INS began charging a fee for this form. What this all boils down to is that American citizens are paying a new fee for the privilege of reentering the United States.”