Businesses Raise Concern Over Last-Minute Bush Rule On Homeland Security Collection Of Electronic Data

January 7, 2009 5:26 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Among the midnight security policies passed by outgoing U.S. President George Bush which have caught the ire of business is the mandate for the Department of Homeland Security to collect millions of new electronic records. The DHS will be required to collect data on private aircraft, imported cargo, foreign visitors and federal contractors.

Businesses complain the policies will cause a dent on their finances during a period of economic crisis and raise the question of security over their information if the DHS database is stolen or lost.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and four other associations have filed a lawsuit to stop the policy which would require federal contractors to send by electronic means information on their employees to verify if they could legally seek employment in the U.S. The policy will start Jan. 15 and applies on workers on a federal contract worth over $100,000.

DHS spokeswoman Amy Kudwa defended the last-minute policies, which she said will enable the agency to make security checks faster than those done using paper forms, and flag people or cargo which should not be allowed in the U.S.

As proof of Homeland Security's listening to businesses concerns, Kudwa cited the deferment of a policy that required provision of detailed information on imported cargo 24 hours before it is loaded on a vessel from a foreign port. The policy, initially slated for implementation Jan. 26 was moved to June 1.

The DHS, in its 2008 yearend report, said it was successfully in protecting the U.S. from dangerous people and goods. It pointed to the lack on an attack on U.S. soil for over seven years as evidence.