The "Real ID" Act--Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!

[Piglet 0]

The ever delightful Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, R-WI, has snuck a piece of legislation that's odious even for him onto an Iraq War appropriations bill: The Real ID Act, which would standardize driver's licenses across the country and electronically encode lots of personal information into lots and lots of "common machine-readable technology" data bases. So, even more government intrusion into your personal information, easy access for identity thieves, and a whole bunch of untrained, unmonitored, likely uninsured drivers. Good plan, Northern Boy.

Naturally, as this was stuck onto a different bill which had no debate, it's already passed the US House. So read up on it and contact your Senator.

http://www.unrealid.com/

[Tigermike 3,039]

I am not sure what I think just yet, but here is some more info.

Plan would protect U.S.

By James Sensenbrenner

On Sept. 11, 2001, 18 of the 19 hijackers deliberately used valid driver's licenses and state IDs — as opposed to their passports — as their document of choice to board the airplanes. Why? Because state IDs allowed the hijackers to avoid suspicion. A driver's license allows freedom of movement and conveys credibility.

Noting that "for terrorists, travel documents are as important as weapons," the 9/11 Commission recommended the federal government set national standards for the issuance of driver's licenses and stated, "Fraud in identification documents is no longer just a problem of theft."

The Real ID Act would ensure states have strict security standards when they issue driver's licenses and ID cards if their citizens want them to be accepted as identification for boarding an airplane, entering a nuclear power plant or interacting with the federal government. Lax standards by a few states put all Americans at risk.

Real ID would require all states to confirm the identities of applicants, confirm that visas are valid for foreign visitors, keep accurate records, and make driver's licenses and ID cards extremely difficult to counterfeit. This legislation would prevent the next Mohammed Atta from using his six-month visa to obtain a six-year driver's license by requiring that a foreign visitor's license term ends when the visa expires. Furthermore, once these reforms are in place with more complete state records, license renewals should be faster and lines shorter.

Real ID is estimated to cost the average state less than $2 million to comply with over the next five years, a small price for closing a large security loophole. It would authorize federal grants to help share states' costs.

This legislation would not create a national ID card or a national database. Rather, it would require states to improve the data security of the information they already hold and build upon the current interaction of the different states' motor vehicle departments.

While we did not prevent 9/11 from happening, the Real ID Act is vital to preventing foreign terrorists from hiding in plain sight while planning another attack just like it.

Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and author of the Real ID Act

USA TODAY

There are 3 versions of Bill Number H.R.418 for the 109th Congress

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.418:

Real ID Act heads to Senate after passing House as part of money bill   

Jamie Cortazzo at 3:01 PM

[JURIST] The Real ID Act [PDF], which would set guidelines for state identification cards must follow and would require the presentation of four forms of ID to obtain a driver's license, awaits a vote in the Senate after passing the US House of Representatives [official website] Thursday as part of a $82 billion emergency supplemental appropriations bill. The Act [CNET FAQ] is intended to discourage illegal immigration by asking driver's license applicants to present a photo ID, a birth certificate, proof of their Social Security number and a document showing their full name and address, all documents which would then be cross-checked in a federal database. If the bill passes the Senate, states would have three years to comply with its provisions, although many are already preparing for the worst, fearing it may require DMVs to obtain more computers and employees, already limited resources. The ACLU [advocacy website] contends that the legislation rolls back asylum laws, attacks immigrants and sets the stage for a national ID," which it believes will enable others to easily gain access to personal information [press release]. Read House Judiciary Committee chairman James Sensenbrenner's press release on the Real ID Act, which he sponsored. USA Today has more

LINK

[Tiger Al 0]

I think they ought to just implant a computer chip into every baby's scalp or hand at birth.

[Tigermike 3,039]

I think they ought to just implant a computer chip into every baby's scalp or hand at birth.

159277[/snapback]

Well if the bill were to pass, it would probably cut down on the some of the democrat voting base. Is this another attempt of the Republicans to dilute and discourage minority voting?

[Piglet 0]

I think they ought to just implant a computer chip into every baby's scalp or hand at birth.

159277[/snapback]

Damn straight. An even better idea would be if everyone's bank info was on the same chip so that people could get themselves scanned for credit or debit whenever they went shopping. In fact, it oughta be mandatory! 'Cause, if you got nothing to hide, you won't complain, right?

Personal privacy is an idea who's time has passed. We need a Big Brother society in order to feel safe.

[Auburn85 432]

Would illegal aliens be eligible for a liscence?

[Piglet 0]

Would illegal aliens be eligible for a liscence?

159328[/snapback]

No--the bill does that part right, at least.

The part I object to is the Big Brother thing. Plus the unfunded mandate. Cash strapped states aren't gonna have the funds to implement the required changes, but if they're forced to try, you can expect your driver license renewal to take all day in DMV Hell and cost you about a hundred bucks a pop.