Congress set to impose ID card rules: States would need to verify papers

boston.com ^ | May 5, 2005 | Charlie Savage

[Destro]

Congress set to impose ID card rules
States would need to verify papers

By Charlie Savage, Globe Staff | May 5, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Congressional negotiators have agreed on a sweeping new system that would nationalize standards for driver's licenses and state identification cards, requiring states to verify the authenticity of every document that people use to prove their identity and show their legal residency.

If the House and Senate both pass the bill next week as expected, by May 2008 every state will be required to contact the issuers of birth certificates, mortgage statements, utility bills, Social Security cards, and immigration papers before granting a driver's license. States will also have to keep copies of those documents for seven years.

Touted as an antiterrorism measure, the Real ID Act would effectively erase laws in nine states that allow undocumented immigrants to obtain standard driver's licenses, which are widely accepted as official identification for boarding airplanes, opening bank accounts, and entering federal courthouses.

[el_texicano]

Look, I very much agree with you about securing the borders. But can we honestly believe that even our best efforts to secure those borders and coastlines will keep out 100% of the illegals?

I would like to see anyone else with an honest guestimate of just how much percentage wise the securing of the borders would serve? I seriously doubt we could achieve even 80% blockage.

So, to help with the internal security of this nation, I would have no problem with an id card that proves your identity. I don't care if it is a retinal scan, finger prints, or DNA record. To make the leap that this would reduce us to the level of Nazi Germany is ludicrous.

[jveritas]

It really is as simple as that if we have the WILL to do it.

Do you really is it as simple as that? if it is that simple why we are not doing it.

[tahiti]

"...not so long ago, I was against this kind of federal ID action - but now, the onslaught of illegal immigration has forced me to "evolve" my position"

As I have asked my Congressman Todd Akin via e-mail from his website, what enumerated "powers of Congress" is he citing justifying the propriety of this legislation?

Article 1, Section 8 list 17 enumerated Congressional powers. Not one of them authorizes such legislation.

What it does authorize Congress to do about illegal immigration is the following:

Clause 15: To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

Members of Congress have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution.

Please write your Congressman and pose the same question to him/her and to abide by their oath of office.

[jveritas]

It really is as simple as that if we have the WILL to do it.

Do you really think that it is it as simple as that? if it is that simple why are we not doing it? Why don't we have the will to do it? There is something more to it.

[Destro]

Thank you.

[frgoff]

Papieren bitte?

Excuse me, is the anti-christ running the Republican party?

The law simply requires that ID be verified before issuing a driver's license, for crying out loud and mandates a uniform process for doing that across the nation. Good grief.

[holymoly]

...if it is that simple why are we not doing it?

Perhaps because the GOP is gutless, and afraid of alienating latino voters?

Perhaps because the Presidents sister-in-law (Columba Bush) is hispanic (Born in Leon-Guanajato, Mexico in 1953)?

[Destro]

Where in the Constitution does Congress get the power to tell the States to do this?

[Conservative4Ever]

Wait a minute....don't we already have a national ID? I think it's called a PASSPORT. Granted American passports do not have a physical description of the barer, but that could be corrected and updated when each person renews their passports. Seems simple to me.

Red

[Destro]

Passports are for external travel - now we are getting a passport to travel inside the USA.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Passports are for external travel - now we are getting a passport to travel inside the USA.

Nothing is changing, an id like a drivers license has been required to board an airplane for years. All this does is make sure that when you're getting a license that you're entitled to it.

[jveritas]

Who are the large employers that want cheap labor? Can you name ten large corporations who hire cheap labor? I think it is mostly small business owners who hire illegal immigrants for cheap labor, gas station, cleaning crews, restaurants, small construction contractors etc...

[jveritas]

Why is the GOP afraid of alienating the Latino voters? Perhaps that if they do not get a certain % of Latino voters they may not win elections.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Actually, this will make it more valuable to falsify or forge papers.

[Revel]

The part that gets me is how the federal government can take money from the citizens of a state. And then blackmail the state to conform to its whims or else they will not give back money they took...And no ones calls it blackmail. In reality this is how the federal government gets around states rights. We do need to check for illegals before issuing drivers licenses, but they should not be allowed to dictate what is on the drivers license that is given to a states citizen.