National ID in Intelligence Reform Legislation

Free Congress Organization ^ | Nov 23, 2004 | Steve Lilienthal

[juggernut]

Found an interesting article concerning our driver's license becoming a National ID that is in the Intelligence Reform bill that will decided by the 108th Congress in a special session starting December 6. One of the mandates are states will be required to participate in the Driver License Agreement (DLA) as proposed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), a private corporation which is composed of executives from law enforcement, motor vehicle administrators.

The article is located at Free Congress Org.

Driver's licenses are a state matter which should not be dictated by the Federal Gov't. States with lax standards such as Virginia are already updating their laws.

Even with the suggestions of restrictions on data and penalties placed, the person who has their identiy stolen by such savory characters as Mexican law enforcement personal are still left "holding the bag" such as having to clean up their credit or even worse, false or trumped up traffic charges making its way to their state driving record which has bad ramifications such as increased insurance premiums or loss of driver's license thanks to the DLA.

Here are some excerpts from the article below:

Legislation in 1996 required applicants for driver's licenses to supply their Social Security numbers and some states even print the actual number on the card. Because some states fail to do a thorough job in verifying the identities of applicants for driver's licenses, a black market has been created for Social Security numbers in order to obtain driver's licenses under false pretenses. Generally, states have leeway to decide whether or not the Social Security number is displayed on the license.

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Furthermore, H.R 10 in Section 3053 on the "Linking of Databases" says that in order for the states to be eligible to receive grants they must "participate in the interstate compact regarding sharing of driver license data, known as the `Driver License Agreement,' in order to provide electronic access to a State to information contained in the motor vehicle databases of all other States." The provision leaves open the possibility that Canada and Mexico could be interlinked to this database because they are considered to be participants in the `Driver's License Agreement' that was forged by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, which represents both U.S. and Canadian motor vehicle administrators. AAMVA in its July 2004 Driver's License Agreement states that the jurisdiction of the agreement covers "A state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, a territory or province of Canada or any state of the Republic of Mexico of the Federal District of Mexico." While that is not the definition employed in the intelligence bills, it would be prudent on the part of Congress to add a stricture against allowing the State databases to be linked to those of Canada and Mexico.

At the very least a provision needs to be inserted mandating that no linking could occur until definite steps are taken by the Federal Government to ensure that both foreign governments have instituted serious steps to guard against fraud and identity theft of the information being accessed of U.S. drivers and serious penalties placed on those foreigners who alter information regarding our country's citizens or falsify information regarding their own citizens.

[juggernut]

Some people will favor this regardless of the consequences. Intelligence Reform should not be rushed at a hell bent speed. When legislation is rushed, it is an opportunity to put in some awful laws that are hard to repeal later. Easier to stop it now than to repeal it later.

[longtermmemmory]

This bill should just be allowed to die.

They should come back and do this in pieces not in an all or nothing.

The democrats see the security czar as the US Prime Minister they wanted back in carter's day. Imagine what a Clintonesque Hitlary security czar would do with national id, tax information, and other private data...

[mysterio]

Don't worry! Republicans are in charge! Also, if you're doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about!

/sarcasm

[srm913]

Currently being an English teacher in Communist China (BTW I'm coming home next week, THANK GOD!!!), I've seen firsthand the Orwellian systems put in place here. Chinese citizens are forbidden to leave home without their official state IDs.
Anything resembling national IDs is a step toward totalitarian madness. Paranoid? Perhaps. But after living in a society in which Big Brother is crossed with Peeping Tom, I couldn't be a stronger opponent of the ID proposals.

[azhenfud]

1) We need a scannable SSI card with embedded data, pics to ensure a citizen is who they say they are.

2) We need to require EVERYONE without the item aforesaid mentioned in #1 to hold a valid passport from their respective country of origin containing proper U.S. visas.

3) We need to be willing to crate up anyone absent items aforesaid in #1 or #2 and drop ship them over the border.

[afnamvet]

Too many bills that end up on the President's desk for signature contain parasitic additions that affect our liberty and way of life. This bill needs to go to the scrap heap. Talk to your congressional, state and local representatives and become more informed about legislation that you care about.

[Congressman Billybob]

This article uses words like "required" and "compelled." These are false. Here's the truth:

Almost two years ago I spoke by invitation to a group of state legislators from around the country on the subject of the state role in national security. I told them that all states had to tighten up their drivers license procedures to eliminate the fraud opportunities that allowed almost all of the 9/11 terrorists to get apparently valid US licenses.

I also told them that if the states did not get on the stick and act, that the federal government would do it to them. Congress, of course, has no authority to require or compel the states to do anything with their DMV laws. Congress DOES have the power, however, to cut off every penny of any state's highway aid.

The last two times there were such threats by Congress, there was a loud sucking sound and all 50 states passed the 55 MPH speed limit, or passed the tighter drunk driving laws.

Face it, driver's licenses now ARE a national identity card, except there are 51 versions (counting D.C.). And there is the little problem that people who AREN'T AMERICANS and want to KILL AMERICANS can currently get their hands on this documents as easy as pie. And having gotten a license in the sloppiest state, they can go to the strictest state and swap it in for the new one.

It is amazing that thousands of Americans have not already been killed due to this monumental failure by the state legislators. Now, Congress is about to correct for that failure, by using federal dollars as the key weapon.

Congressman Billybob

Click for latest, "Jennings on Jeopardy! -- Nice Guys Do Finish First"

[CORedneck]

Examples of bad Federal Policy through the carrot/stick approach such as withholding highway money.

1. The now repealed National Maximum Speed Limit (NMSL) of 55 mph
2. National Drinking Age of 21
3. The now repealed National Motorcycle Helmet Law
4. The primary seat belt enforcement encouragement from Sec. 402 of highway money
5. Commercial Driver's License Program


The Federal Driver's License standards as proposed especially the Driver License Agreement is also bad policy. The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators is as pro-police state besides the International Chiefs of Police.

As much as I scorn Ted "Chappaquiddick" Kennedy and laugh about his problems being on the TSA no-fly list, there is also concern on how difficult it would be to fix mistakes in these databases especially for ordinary people versus the elite. The elite such as Kennedy had direct contact with those in charge of Dept. of Homeland Security and was able to fly but what about ordinary common "Joe" ? Columnist Cal Thomas had similar problems and has yet to resolve them.

If this bill passes with the police state clauses, have we lost it ? If this passes, the winners are not the American People but people like Osama Bin Laden. Each time more laws that curtail civil rights are passed, people like OBL will be happy and know that he is getting his "point" across of ruining our country.

[lilylangtree]

Don't like this idea at all. A national id is just another piece of paperwork to be stolen and misused and abused by terrorists. Can just hear the old Nazi line to a person: "Your papers?"

[AuntB]

I agree with you. And I am usually the first to squawk about national ID's, but we already have that, for law abiding citizens, SS cards, Dr. license's as you say.

Rep. Steve King, (R) Iowa was on the TV this morning. He said 100 congressmen were behind him and Sensenbrenner, etc. to keep illegal immigration controls in the intelligence bill. I had heard that 60plus drivers licenses had been issued to the 911 hijackers, but he also said that 8 of them were registered to vote, using those licenses as ID.

911 happened because of our lack of enforcing illegal immigration laws. And anyone (the senate) who wants to keep those provisions out of an intelligence bill is a traitor. Period.

[FreedomNeocon]

National ID's just make sense, and if 'Drivers Liscenses' were created in todays age they would ORIGINALLY be uniform, and linked from state to state, with Biometric data stored on it (confirmed on your person) used for any number of things (Pay for Groceries, screen on plane/office, etc)

The whole 'doomsday' whatif game is highly counterproductive. Just becuase you have some stupid paranoid dillusion about something that *might* come out of it, is hardly a good reason to avoid such a good sense matter.

You have the same info available today... only its in the hands of spammers, and all those 'information dealers' who trade in databases and user email lists and whatnot.

Why should the government have a system of their own to use, ESPICALLY if there are numberable readily available applications.

I really don't see whats so 'dangerous' about linking what every state has on their own in a 'central' database... not in the least bit (but hey.... I'm a young conservative, and don't have whatever psycosis some people seem to have about computers/technology)

[tkathy]

A national ID card would swipe into a national database that would bring up your photo, etc.

Great for eliminating voter fraud and a must for all employment. I can hardly wait. Get all the scum out of the country

[azhenfud]

Right. If a speeding ticket or accident in an adjacent state can find its way to your insurance agency, there's no valid reason but sloppiness that government can't validate and correct an illegal's situation.

[azhenfud]

It would also virtually eliminate the excuses felons have to hire illegals while at the same time curtail identity theft. If you don't match the photo on the scanned card and displayed on the reader, only a blind person could be fooled that the document isn't stolen or has been rathered....

[ASA Vet]

Have you noticed the most anti-ID folks are also the loudest "seal the border" types?

[Reaganwuzthebest]

And anyone (the senate) who wants to keep those provisions out of an intelligence bill is a traitor. Period.

It does appear doesn't it that in the Senate they have no problem with terrorists getting drivers licenses or illegals pouring across the borders.

[azhenfud]

Somewhat - but without both ID and border security, either one alone is a waste of effort.

[CORedneck]

How about a speeding ticket in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico which gets put on your home state driving with points that apply towards license suspension. A neighbor of mine got a ticket in that town in Mexico. It cost him $80 but there are no points here at home, yet ! There are no due process rights in Mexico and the Mexican authorities can be abusive. See an example on Dawn Wilson who got snared in Mexican Law.

Laws should be favored towards letting a few guilty to escape justice than to even permit an innocent person to be convicted and punished. That was the basis of American Law for many years until recently. The aim of laws these days is too bad if a few innocent get convicted. We need to get away from the attitude of "If it saves one life, then the law is worth it (never mind the many innocent that get trapped)", etc. Forfeiture laws was a major start towards the slide down the slippery slope of this country becoming a Police State.

[evets]

Verichip

[frankenMonkey]

I have long been opposed to any mandatory identification, but with voter fraud and illegal immigration, I think the time may be comming.

However, it seems to me that with some thought, the advantages of an ID could be had while at the same time making the abuses (real and imagined) could be made illegal. That is, show ID to vote, but illegal to demand an ID to travel by car...