Also, just out this article from NewsMax
Send FedEx Letters to Congress NOW!
You've probably heard that the 9/11 reform bill is being held up in Congress. Thanks to a determined group of conservative House members, the bill was stopped before it could be voted on, and a new "lame-duck" session of Congress is due to try again this coming week to get it passed.
But why did these conservative Congressmen stop the bill? According to Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, it's pretty simple: "The 9/11 reform bill is currently snagged by the Senate's refusal to address three critical issues: Should states continue to issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens? Should we tighten our asylum system that terrorists exploited to such deadly effect? Have we ensured the military chain of command is not broken in our intelligence restructuring?"
This isn't a small matter. The military chain of command is a life-or-death issue for our war fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan. Getting this issue wrong, just so we can say we passed a 9/11 bill, could have DEADLY consequences. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA), the House Armed Services Committee Chairman, and many military leaders have articulated a lot of the same concerns that Sensenbrenner shares about the current bill in this area.
Intelligence-reform efforts will be wasted if Congress fails to address other security loopholes that the 9/11 hijackers studied to hatch their deadly plans. Once the 19 hijackers arrived here, they were able to secure 63 validly issued driver's licenses. Using these licenses, they were able to blend in and eventually board U.S. planes. Learning from this, the 9/11 Commission Report -- which this legislation is based upon -- recommends that the federal government "set standards for the issuance of birth certificates and other sources of identification, such as driver's licenses. Fraud in identification documents is no longer just a problem of theft." The House sought to implement this recommendation with tough security standards for driver's licenses. The Senate, so far, has largely rejected this approach.
What's so controversial about setting strong standards to stop another terrorist like Hani Hanjour from receiving a driver's license?
The House Republicans also sought to address asylum abuse, especially loopholes that terrorists use. The mastermind of the first World Trade Center attack, and an Egyptian immigrant who killed two people at the Los Angeles airport in 2002, both exploited our asylum system to remain in the U.S. Yet the Senate wants to "study" asylum abuse, and not take action!
Passing the current bill, which FAILS to comprehensively address the problems exposed by 9/11, will simply not do enough to prevent another 9/11. Congress CAN get a good bill -- one that addresses intelligence reform, terrorist asylum abuse and security for driver's licenses -- ONLY when the Senate decides it's willing to tackle these vital issues.
The fact is this -- the Senate is refusing to consider vital border security and immigration provisions in the 9/11 overhaul. The current bill is incomplete and needs work -- work that House Democrats and the Senate are refusing to do. Rep. Sensenbrenner is fighting for better security standards for drivers licenses, and he doesn't believe our national security is improved by issuing drivers licenses to illegal aliens.
That makes sense. Page 390 of the 9/11 Commission report states, "The federal government should set standards for the issuance of birth certificates and sources of identification, such as drivers licenses. Fraud in identification documents is no longer just a problem of theft."
Sensenbrenner and many dedicated House Republicans are working for a comprehensive approach to preventing another 9/11, instead of a limp, scaled-back bill that focuses only on restructuring the intelligence bureaucracy. What good is better intelligence if we don't control our borders and issue drivers licenses to people whose real identity is suspect? Border security and immigration are an integral part of homeland security -- the Senate needs to address these issues NOW.
We must NOT let the GOP leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives push through a poor bill, just because we "need something now". We need something GOOD. We need to make our voices heard LOUD and CLEAR immediately, before these leaders make a serious mistake and ramrod this bad bill through.
As usual, you can also send a message at no charge to your own Congressman and Senators, telling them to vote for REAL 9/11 reform:
http://www.rightmarch.com/120204.htm
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www.newmax.com
The most effective solution to this problem would be to make eligibility for federal highway funds contingent upon the states' denying driver's licenses to illegal aliens. I don't see a thing wrong with that method since that is and has been for many years the usual M.O. of the Federal Government when they want their laws (read: WILL) implemented and carried out by the states. In turn the State could use the same carrot and stick M.O. on their cities like so many are also prone to do today.
From post #1 The most effective solution to this problem would be to make eligibility for federal highway funds contingent upon the states' denying driver's licenses to illegal aliens.
I'm certainly not in favor of illegals having DLs. However, I am dead set against what this legislation will allow for: National ID Cards. What information will be encoded on them? What rights will be denied to you if you don't have one (like if it is lost or stolen)? What about counterfeit ID's and identity theft (now you will only have to make 1 item to steal an identity)? What about radio chips in the cards that can track all of our movements?
Sorry, I'm not ready to trade my basic rights for the illusion of security.
by David Horowitz
