House approves electronic ID cards

CNet News ^ | February 10, 2005 | Declan McCullagh

[yatros from flatwater]

House approves electronic ID cards

By Declan McCullagh

http://news.com.com/House+approves+electronic+ID+cards/2100-1028_3-5571898.html

Story last modified Thu Feb 10 17:46:00 PST 2005

The U.S. House of Representatives approved on Thursday a sweeping set of rules aimed at forcing states to issue all adults federally approved electronic ID cards, including driver's licenses.

Under the rules, federal employees would reject licenses or identity cards that don't comply, which could curb Americans' access to airplanes, trains, national parks, federal courthouses and other areas controlled by the federal government. The bill was approved by a 261-161 vote.

The measure, called the Real ID Act, says that driver's licenses and other ID cards must include a digital photograph, anticounterfeiting features and undefined "machine-readable technology, with defined minimum data elements" that could include a magnetic strip or RFID tag. The Department of Homeland Security would be charged with drafting the details of the regulation.

Republican politicians argued that the new rules were necessary to thwart terrorists, saying that four of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers possessed valid state-issued driver's licenses. "When I get on an airplane and someone shows ID, I'd like to be sure they are who they say they are," said Rep. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican, during a floor debate that started Wednesday.

States would be required to demand proof of the person's Social Security number and confirm that number with the Social Security Administration. They would also have to scan in documents showing the person's date of birth and immigration status, and create a massive store "so that the (scanned) images can be retained in electronic storage in a transferable format" permanently.

Another portion of the bill says that states would be required to link their DMV databases if they wished to receive federal funds. Among the information that must be shared: All data fields printed on drivers' licenses and identification cards, and complete drivers' histories, including motor vehicle violations, suspensions and points on licenses.

The Bush administration threw its weight behind the Real ID Act, which has been derided by some conservative and civil liberties groups as tantamount to a national ID card. The White House said in a statement this week that it "strongly supports House passage" of the bill.

Thursday's vote mostly fell along party lines. About 95 percent of the House Republicans voted for the bill, which had been prepared by the judiciary committee chairman, F. James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican. More than three-fourths of the House Democrats opposed it.

Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat from Washington, D.C., charged that Republicans were becoming hypocrites by trampling on states' rights. "I thought the other side of the aisle extols federalism at all times," Norton said. "Yes, even in hard times, even when you're dealing with terrorism. So what's happening now? Why are those who speak up for states whenever it strikes their fancy doing this now?"

Civil libertarians and firearm rights groups condemned the bill before the vote. The American Civil Liberties Union likened the new rules to a "de facto national ID card," saying that the measure would force "states to deny driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants" and make DMV employees act as agents of the federal immigration service.

Because an ID is required to purchase a firearm from a dealer, Gun Owners of America said the bill amounts to a "bureaucratic back door to implementation of a national ID card." The group warned that it would "empower the federal government to determine who can get a driver's license--and under what conditions."

[yatros from flatwater]

Your 'papers' please.

[finnman69]

"Your 'papers' please." - Ryder rental agent

"Mohammed, lets get out of here, they wont rent me Ryder truck"

[Pyro7480]

I can see both sides of the issue. It's a tough call.

[NonValueAdded]

or RFID tag

Cottage industry alert! Tin foil lined Tyvec folder in which to hold your ID card. Only in this case, tin foil makes sense.

[BRITinUSA]

There will be a loss of some privacy with this initiative. But if the cards will not be available to illegal immigrants and if it contained information about whether or not the holder was a convicted felon then it will solve the immigrant problem and voter fraud in one fell swoop.

I think it's worth it.

[OXENinFLA]

This article, and many like it, are a crock.

NO WHERE in the bill does RFID tags come up, nor does it imply that your license will no become a tracking device.

"a magnetic strip" Oh noooooooooooooooooo........

Guess what folks, if ya live in FL ya already got one of those magnetic strips on the back of your license.

So when cops pull you over all they have to do is swipe your license instead of manually typing in your info.

[OXENinFLA]

no become = now become

[NonValueAdded]

As much as I support uniform standards for durable identification, statements like this one are misleading: "... that four of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers possessed valid state-issued driver's licenses." Yes they did, but some of the cards were issued by a corrupt employee and all we'd be guaranteeing in that case is no one will question their whizzbang new ID card with the fancy chip. Only a two-man rule on card issuance would help in that case and even that isn't foolproof.

A national ID card is inevitable and even desirable (think voter fraud). The real test of any program will be finding the prohibitions on cross-referencing the ID in other government databases.

cite: paragraph 3

[JLAGRAYFOX]

With all its drawbacks, I actually favor a national ID card. It would go a long way to reducing voter fraud in the USA. There are any number of ways that a coded card can be verified as a means of positive identification. IMHO, no national ID or certified driver license presented to election officals, and you don't vote. I also believe you should have to present at least two (2) verifiable "photo" IDs when voting in federal elections (Driver's License, Passport, ATM Card photo, etc.). Absentee balloting should be limited to military personnnel only and no provisional ballots under any circumstances. People who cannot vote on Election Day should be be allowed to vote early. All voting must be done in person, with the only exception, being the military folks.

[Military family member]

The Department of Homeland Security would be charged with drafting the details of the regulation.

This part is particularly troubling. It suggests the bill creates open ended powers for Homeland security. Why not work those details into the bill, or at least set limits.

We already have a federal ID of sorts--the Social Security Card--although legal it's not supposed to be used this way.

Besides, when conservatives, gun owners and the ACLU get together on the same side of a piece of legislation, something must be wrong.

[RockinRight]

I am "Kerrying" on this issue-I can see both sides of it. It can be a good thing but also could be abused.

Kerrying - the act of switching positions on a political issue, also known as flip-flopping.

[Sprite518]

Sorry guys but I do not like seeing the Federal Government becoming more powerful everyday. I like how it can be use to control the illegal immigration, and the terrorist. However, if the politicians would just enforce the existing laws of illegal immigration, then this would not be needed.

Furthermore, I am concerned that this could be abused too. Maybe not now, but down the road. Perhaps 10 to 20 years from now.

[Smogger]

A national ID card is inevitable and even desirable (think voter fraud). The real test of any program will be finding the prohibitions on cross-referencing the ID in other government databases.

I agree. I mean our driver's license or our social security card (take your pick) is already our de facto national id card.

Toss the RFID and the provisions for sharing driving records between states (uh how does that foil terrorism/illegal immigration?) and I would sign that puppy right now.

[TN4Bush]

I totally agree with you.

[plain talk]

It's not tough at all. It's simple. It's a great idea.

[plain talk]

measure would force "states to deny driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants"

So what's wrong with that?

[Bogey78O]

As expected, we're all going to get screwed because the Democrats refuse to run their states responsibly.

[NationSoConceived]

Absentee balloting should be limited to military personnnel only and no provisional ballots under any circumstances. People who cannot vote on Election Day should be be allowed to vote early. All voting must be done in person, with the only exception, being the military folks.

This would be a poor idea. As of election day this past November, I had been living outside the country for 4 months. Somehow, I don't think that voting 4 months early constitutes an "informed vote," nor is it a good idea to suddenly require all registered voters living overseas to drop a significant chunk of change to return home for a day if they want to be counted.

I could certainly understand setting up the necessity of an absentee ballot IN PERSON during registration, or simply ahead of time IN PERSON with the local election board.

[palmer]

A national ID card is inevitable and even desirable (think voter fraud).

How will it stop inner city precincts from showing 100% turnout, 99% Dem votes?