House Judiciary Chairman Introduces 'Real ID' Act

By Terri Hillhouse
Talon News
January 27, 2005

House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) introduced the Real ID Act on Wednesday which contains the terrorist travel provisions that were stripped from the 9/11 Intelligence legislation that was passed last month.

"The goal of the Real ID Act is straightforward: it seeks to prevent another 9/11-type attack by disrupting terrorist travel. First, this legislation does not try to set state policy for who may or may not drive a car, but it does address the use of a driver's license as a form of identification to a federal official," Sensenbrenner said.

The provisions of the Real ID act were stripped from the Intelligence bill under pressure from the White House and Republican leadership in the House because of public pressure to get the bill passed in the waning days of the 108th Congress.

At the time, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) promised the identification legislation would return in the new Congress, saying, "[I]t is my intention to bring the drivers' license standards, the asylum procedures and other border security provisions back to the House floor for further consideration early in the next session."

Sensenbrenner emphasized, "American citizens have the right to know who is in their country, that people are who they say they are, and that the name on a driver's license is the holder's real name, not some alias."

The nineteen men who boarded planes which they flew into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 all had passports to enter the country but they used legally acquired driver's licenses and state ID cards to purchase their tickets for the planes they later commandeered.

Mohammed Atta, ringleader of the hijackers, was in the country on a 6 month visa but was able to get a driver's license in Florida that was good for 6 years.

"The Real ID Act will end this by establishing a uniform rule for all states that temporary driver's licenses for foreign visitors expire when their visa terms expire, and establishing tough rules for confirming identity before temporary driver's licenses are issued," Sensenbrenner said.

The measure will require all states to comply with strong security standards when issuing driver's licenses which include expiration when the alien's visa expires.

In addition it will tighten the asylum system, give judges more flexibility in deciding the credibility of witnesses in asylum cases, close the 3 mile gap in the fortified U.S./Mexico border fence in the San Diego area and ensure that terrorism is grounds for deportation from the country.

A contentious fight is expected in Congress because the legislation will be opposed by Senate Democrats, open borders groups, and the American Civil Liberties Union.

"The Sensenbrenner legislation seeks to create significant hurdles to those suffering persecution in their home countries who seek the safe haven of American shores," said Timothy H. Edgar, an ACLU legislative counsel.

"The bill would do little to enhance our security, but it would undermine our national commitment to freedom and liberty," Edgar continued.

President Bush also spoke on illegal immigration Wednesday, saying, "Immigration reform is necessary to help make it easier to protect our borders."

"The system right now spawns coyotes and smugglers and people willing to break the law to get people in our country," Bush added.

The Real ID Act has 115 cosponsors including House Chief Deputy Majority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-CA), House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), House International Relations Chairman Henry Hyde (R-IL), House Intelligence Committee Chairman Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), House Judiciary Immigration, Border Security, and Claims Subcommittee Chairman John Hostettler (R-IN), House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Chris Cox (R-CA), House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-VA), and others.

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