Coalition stands firm in support of national ID law
A coalition that supports a 2005 law mandating nationwide standards for driver's licenses claims that it is not fazed by the wave of federal and state lawmakers who have turned against the statute during the past year.
More than a dozen states already have decided that they will not comply with the so-called REAL ID Act. Last week, the Senate also rejected a proposal to direct $300 million to help states meet the requirements of the law.
The Coalition for a Secure Driver's License, a nonprofit that was started by families affected by the 2001 terrorist attacks, is one of the few groups still rallying support for the implementation of REAL ID. Spokesman Neil Berro said in a Tuesday interview that he was not deterred by the Senate inaction.
President Bush did not reserve any money for REAL ID compliance in his February budget proposal. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said in a floor speech that the federal government should be responsible for bearing some of the cost if it is going to impose such a mandate on the states. He tried to attach his funding proposal to the homeland security appropriations measure for fiscal 2008, which the Senate passed.
The Homeland Security Department estimated earlier this year that it will cost states as much as $23 billion to implement the law. The American Civil Liberties Union and others that oppose REAL ID called Alexander's amendment a "sucker money" proposal and argued that it would have done little to help states comply with a flawed statute.
Privacy advocates have charged that REAL ID effectively would create an invasive national ID system. State legislators who have rejected the law also call it an unfunded federal mandate.
Berro said those who oppose REAL ID have capitalized on fears about intrusions on civil liberties. But he said potential terrorist attacks are a more serious threat to those freedoms.
Legislation to repeal the law has been introduced in both chambers of Congress. A bill by Sens. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, and John Sununu, R-N.H., would reinstitute a negotiated rulemaking process to develop federal driver's licensing standards.
According to Berro, the country cannot afford to move backward on the issue. He cited a Zogby poll conducted earlier this year that indicated the majority of Americans actually favor stronger ID standards.
"The common-sense sensibility of most Americans was reflected in that poll," he said.
COMMENTS
- England has a National Id Card and they have an ID Theft rate of 90%. Has it stopped Terrorist Activities in their country? Securing our borders and enforcing our current immigration laws will help stop terrorism. Keeping tabs on visitors who come to our country will help stop terrorism. An id card with biometrics to track Law abiding Americans will not. Illegal aliens will still drive, they just will not have a valid id. They will still work for employers who will pay them under the table. Having our personal information stored in a databases accessable by all 50 states plus Mexico and Canada will open the doors for it to be stolen. DHS has been hacked over 800 times in the past tow years, why trust them with something more when they cannot even secure their own systems? This is a national id and I will refuse to take it along with millions of other Law Abiding Americans. anonymous Posted August 3, 2007 7:46 PM
- First, it's been 231 years, more or less since the Constitution was ratified. Times change. Second, most of us carry mulitple forms of ID, some with pictures on them. Third, federal law is usually preeminent unless state law (read colonial law)has precedence. Something as universal and important as driving shouldn't be left to the colonies (states)to administer in their dumb, haphazard fashion. Example: No yearly safety inspections are required in Nevada! Also, some states don't even require (2)license plates, why? Time to realize that 1984 has come and gone, and the golden days of freedom are stored in museums, books, and movies. We already tolerate numerous privacy intrusions in our lives, this bill might actually save some lives. Pass it! US Customs Senior Inspector (Retired) Posted August 6, 2007 9:04 AM
- The only people that I have found that are against the Real ID are for Illegal Immigration. We have to have a way of knowing who is in our Country. If the Real ID will do this then I'm all for it. If the ACLU and LaRaza are against it I'm definitely for it! LadyM Posted August 3, 2007 12:29 PM
