By Yevgeny Shrago
The federal highway and transportation reauthorization bill passed by the Senate (which carries the delightfully meaningless title “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century”) and currently waiting for consideration by the House contains a provision that has a little more to do with due process and taxes than with roads. According to Section 40304, people with a serious delinquency (currently defined as more than $50,000) would have their passport rights revoked. This is similar to a previous provision that prevents anyone with more than $2,500 in unpaid child support from using their US passport for international travel. Although tax cheats and deadbeat parents are among the most unsympathetic groups around, it may be worth thinking twice before affirming the government’s right to ban someone from travelling internationally.
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