Posted on 02/05/2005 5:33:44 AM PST by FlyLow
House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner has renewed his fight to stop federal agencies from accepting as legal identification the driver's licenses issued by states that give licenses to illegal aliens. In December, this and a few other provisions dealing with border security were stripped by the Senate from the law responding to the recommendations of the Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.
Fulfilling a vow to return to these issues, Sensenbrenner (R.-Wis.) introduced the REAL ID act two weeks ago. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R.-Tex.) has scheduled a vote on the bill this week. HUMAN EVENTS Editor Terence P. Jeffrey spoke with Sensenbrenner last week about his proposal.
HUMAN EVENTS: What are the key provisions of your REAL ID act?
SENSENBRENNER: There are four provisions. First, an applicant for a driver's license or renewal must prove lawful presence in the United States, otherwise the driver's license will be endorsed that they have not done so. The driver's licenses would have to indicate lawful presence to be used for federal purposes, such as getting on an airplane. Second, the bill tightens the asylum laws so that terrorists, like the one who plotted the '93 World Trade Center bombing and the man who shot up the entrance to the CIA headquarters, could not get into the country and roam around as an asylum applicant. Third, the bill completes the 3-and-half mile gap in the border fence south of San Diego that has been held up as a result of environmental lawsuits. And fourth, the bill changes the law that says that if an alien is not admissible into the United States because of affiliation with terrorist groups, that alien is deportable. The present law says if someone makes a mistake to let you in, we cannot kick you out in some circumstances.
HUMAN EVENTS: When these provisions were being discussed last year, some in the Senate said we should not interfere with the rights of states to deal with their driver's licenses. Why does your proposal not contradict the 10th Amendment, which says that powers not specifically delegated to the federal government should be reserved to the states or the people?
SENSENBRENNER: It does not do so because it does not tell the states who they can issue driver's licenses to and who they can't. What it does say is that when they issue a driver's license, in order for that driver's license to be used for federal ID purposes, the applicant must show lawful presence in the United States. This, in my opinion, is a very important provision if we are to avoid the pressure for a national ID card, which I oppose.
Read the entire interview: http://www.HumanEventsOnline.com/article.php?id=6504
So states that don't require such proof now will simply have a statement to that effect printed on every license it issues.
The Federal government should use state fishing and hunting licenses as the official national identification card. That way at least some of the money would go to Ducks Unlimited and other sportsman's causes.
I wish him success in this endeavor after the borders are secured and all illegal activity is stopped.
H.R.418 REAL ID Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)
Beginning January 26, 2005
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. TITLE I--AMENDMENTS TO FEDERAL LAWS TO PROTECT AGAINST TERRORIST ENTRY
SEC. 101. PREVENTING TERRORISTS FROM OBTAINING ASYLUM.
SEC. 102. WAIVER OF LAWS NECESSARY FOR IMPROVEMENT OF BARRIERS AT BORDERS.
SEC. 103. INADMISSIBILITY DUE TO TERRORIST AND TERRORIST-RELATED ACTIVITIES.
SEC. 104. REMOVAL OF TERRORISTS. TITLE II--IMPROVED SECURITY FOR DRIVERS' LICENSES AND PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION CARDS
SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS.
SEC. 202. MINIMUM DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS AND ISSUANCE STANDARDS FOR FEDERAL RECOGNITION.
SEC. 203. LINKING OF DATABASES. SEC. 204. TRAFFICKING IN AUTHENTICATION FEATURES FOR USE IN FALSE IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS.
SEC. 205. GRANTS TO STATES.
SEC. 206. AUTHORITY.
SEC. 207. REPEAL.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c109:1:./temp/~c109Vsz7bc::
ping
With GWB sitting in the White House, this will only happen when hell freezes over.
I am against another shiny new law such as the so-called "guest worker" law. Enforcement of it will simply be ignored whenever it suits government or business. Let them honor current law and live up to our unique heritage as a Nation of Laws. Fat chance.
Tens of thousands of employers using ILLEGAL immigrants are known. Employer "no match" letters are sent out annually (130,000 of them) asking the employer to correct the SSN / name discrepancies (an employer has to have at least ten mismatches on its W-2 earnings statements to get a letter.) Almost ten million employee "no match" letters go out to employees with SSN / name mismatches. Both the SSA and the IRS send the letters.
We've known who they are for years and years. No will to enforce the law.
So why do we need a shiny new law?
On the Homeland Security front...
After 9/11, President Bush authorized 2,000 new border-patrol agents per year for five years. Unfortunately, the figure now stands at 200, due to budget constraints (budget constraints that, sadly, have not applied to other agencies, such as DoEd, DoT, and PBS). Strangely, $74 million has been substituted for surveillance and aerial technology, in the hopes that this will make up for the lack of manpower on the ground. But if there was any message in the 9/11 report, it was that technological intelligence is no substitute for human intelligence.
This is not simply about Mexican illegals looking to work on a farm. Al-Qa'ida already has a foothold in countries like Venezuela, where it is suspected that the Chavez government had (has?) been protecting them with false-identity papers and passports. Former Taliban mullahs also fled there in 2000. If these cutthroats try to enter the U.S., it won't be through Nova Scotia.
The Federalist Patriot (FederalistPatriot.US)
http://FederalistPatriot.US/current2004a.asp
Feb. 4, 2005
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