Real ID on its way Out
16. Jun, 2009 
18 Comments
Administration Plans to Scale Back Real ID Law
By Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post
Yielding to a rebellion by states that refused to pay for it, the Obama administration is moving to scale back a federal law passed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that was designed to tighten security requirements for driver’s licenses, Homeland Security Department and congressional officials said.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano wants to repeal and replace the controversial, $4 billion domestic security initiative known as Real ID, which calls for placing more secure licenses in the hands of 245 million Americans by 2017. The new proposal, called Pass ID, would be cheaper, less rigorous and partly funded by federal grants, according to draft legislation that Napolitano’s Senate allies plan to introduce as early as tomorrow.
The rebranding effort follows months of talks with the National Governors Association and poses political risk for Obama as well as Napolitano, a former NGA chairwoman who wants to soothe strained relations with the states without appearing to retreat on a recommendation by the 9/11 Commission.
Commissioners called for federal standards for driver’s licenses and birth certificates, noting, “For terrorists, travel documents are as important as weapons.” Eighteen of 19 terrorist hijackers obtained state IDs, some of them fraudulently, easing their movements inside the country.
But the Bush administration struggled to implement the 2005 law, delaying the program repeatedly as states called it an unfunded mandate and privacy advocates warned it would create a de facto national ID.
As governor of Arizona, Napolitano called Real ID “feel-good” legislation not worth the cost, and she signed a state law last year opting out of the plan. As secretary, she said a substitute would “accomplish some of the same goals.”
Eleven states have refused to participate in Real ID despite a Dec. 31 federal deadline.
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Editor’s Note: As can be seen here, Real ID is a great example of how state-level activism to resist unconstitutional federal laws is an effective – and peaceful – method. A small number of states simply saying no has the power to force the federal government to get rid of a program. Consdier this as new regulations come into effect for Health, Gun Rights, nationalizing the Guard and more.
Want to help put the final nail in the coffin of Real ID? Take action over at DownsizeDC.org:
The REAL ID Act is a bad law passed under false pretenses. It was rejected three separate times by the U.S. Senate, and was only passed because it was added to a larger bill containing disaster relief and funding for Iraq. The Senate didn’t want it, and the American people don’t want it either. But the Republican majority leadership in Congress imposed it on us, and so now we have to fight to get it repealed.
The REAL ID Act creates a centralized federal database of personal information about all Americans. Decisions about the exact nature and scope of this program will be made by unelected bureaucrats in the Executive Branch. It seems inevitable that biometric information and electronic tracking tags will be included at some point. No one intends a bad use for this system today, but it is inevitable that it will be used in bad ways in the future.
We are promised increased personal security in return for laying this new “foundation stone” for the creation of a future police state. But those who would trade freedom for security deserve neither, and will have neither.
Many good arguments can be made against REAL ID, but they all reduce to one overpowering truth. The more information government has the less it seems to know. The more power government has the less it seems able to accomplish. Big Government doesn’t work. The federal government needs to do less in order to accomplish more. Small government is focused government. We need smaller government, not a massive new federal identification system. Please ask Congress to repeal the REAL ID Act.
Something called the PASS Act is being crafted to revive the Real ID concept, under a new name, and companies like L-1 Identity Solutions, which stands to benefit, are almost certainly lobbying hard to make it happen. We must lobby just as intensely in the other direction.
Please send your Congressional employees a message asking them once again to repeal the REAL ID Act.
Use your personal comments to ALSO ask them to…
* Stop the DHS from promoting enhanced drivers licenses
* Make the State Department lower the cost of passports
* Reject all the new forms of REAL ID, such as the PASS Act
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
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Good riddance. The REAL ID act was ominous enough for even some of my lesser conspiracy prone friends to raise an eyebrow.
“PAPERS PLEASE!!!”
“No.”
I think we can certainly chalk this one up as a point for liberty and freedom in this country.
Good riddance is right. I’m sure their back-up plan, as downsizeDC states, is not much better. But, this is a great real-life, peaceful, example of how resistance on a state level can and does get the federal government to back down.
Now to apply this same method to every other unconstitutional action…
Please realize that Pass ID is also a BAD idea!!! They are only watering it down so that they can get SOMETHING passed that works as a Federal ID, which will eventually just be turned into the kind of Draconian cog-in-the-machine-ID that was originally planned.
Don’t support Pass ID just because it seems “not as bad” as Real ID. Believe me, it is bad, and eventually would get worse.
So what happens to us who were coerced into getting the real ID?.. what happens to the information collected on me?.. I had to have it to travel into Canada.
Larry – that’s a great question. I didn’t realize that people were already being required to get these de-facto national ID cards…sorry to hear that you have one now. The good news is that this bill is being eliminated, but we need to keep in mind that it’s replacement, while less bad, is still pretty awful.
We just need to follow the same blueprint that got rid of the first one…and we’ll see the same thing happen the 2nd time around.
Washington State put the program into affect last year, it was pushed by the media as a quick, and convenient method of getting around the long wait and expense of a passport if crossing the border was an issue.. of coarse I bought into it….. I will say that, the process was very intimidating, you are put through a background check, and interviewed..you get it sent in the mail, I kept waiting for the Sheriff’s department to knock on my door.
Here’s a scary thing. North Carolina is already issuing drivers licenses with the North American Union flag and logo printed on them. Some state bureaucrats think Robert Pastor’s ideas, like SPP, are just wonderful. If you know anyone in NC, give them a heads up to look into this.
Fred – it certainly is scary. These state government have been acting like big counties rather than states for a long, long time.
fred007, NC stopped using the hologram last October citing it cost too much. However NC legislators are refusing to put an end to this legislation. representative Nelson Cole says he doesn’t have time to deal with the Legislation. Rep Cole needs to retire and we need to find a replacement for him. For those interested, We the People of NC are going to start a class action lawsuit and fight this at that level too. Join in at http://www.ncard.info, sign up for our action alerts, also tell NC you will not visit or spend money in the state http://www.boycottnc.com We need everyones help on this.
Still pretending like there were Arab terrorists, are we? That’s reason enough not to impose tighter identity restrictions. They’re lying about why it’s needed.
I believe all the comments to be true. The feds are lookin for ways to have a new and better central database of all america citizens after which they’ll be able to control the people…ur money cards, licence, buyin’ and sellin’, movement…etc. This may extend to other countries and we may as well soon hear of one global currency. This is just a sign of the end times. The number “666″ may be issued thru this effect and the internet itself would worsen matters for some innocent ones who have given their true personal info for whatever reason. We may be able to fight this but the govt officials may employ stricter measures for getting what they want. All the same, may God help those who fight for His cause and help us all!
Many years ago there were 2 books written that I think are still of value. One was called "None dare call it conspiracy", and the other was "None dare call it treason" As I remember, since it has been many years since I read them, it outlines what is currently taking place. We the people need to regain control of our government, and take back the freedoms that have been taken from us by the corrupt politicians under the control of the international financiers.