[GrandEagle]

orders from Congress to start issuing more uniform driver's licenses and verify the citizenship or legal status of people getting them.
And the provision in the Constitution authorizing the Congress to make such an edict?

[dirtboy]

And the provision in the Constitution authorizing the Congress to make such an edict?

I would tie this to reciprocity. If one state issues a driver's license, it is honored as ID in all states under federal law. So if a few states have lax guidelines, it undermines the integrity of those states who have sound guidelines.

[goldstategop]

I can cite two: the rule providing for uniform naturalization and the federal government's control over citizenship and the interstate commerce clause.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[Little Pig]

This probably should have been initiated by the council of Governors, but it's still a pretty good idea.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

And the provision in the Constitution authorizing the Congress to make such an edict?

Given that drivers licenses are used in interstate commerce and upon federal (and federally funded) highways I think congress probably has more authority in this area than a lot of areas they already claim to have it.

Note: Please don't flame me everyone, I'm not saying they're right, simply noting what the answer will be.

[IRememberElian]

And the provision in the Constitution authorizing the Congress to make such an edict?

I think it's the "Act In Haste" clause. Or the "For the Children" amendment. It's gotta' be in there somewhere.

; )

[jackbenimble]

And the provision in the Constitution authorizing the Congress to make such an edict?

Actually the article is poorly written. There is no such edict.

There is nothing in the Real ID Act that forces the states to standardize their licenses or verify citizenship. They are strongly encouraged to take these steps but they are free to issue licenses to whomsoever they please. This is Constitutionally proper and states rights' have been maintained.

What the Real ID Act says is that drivers licenses from states that do not comply with the voluntary guidelines will not be acceptable as Federal ID for such purposes as entering Federal Buildings or boarding airplanes. Clearly the Federal government has the Constitutional authority to say what kind of ID is acceptable for entering Federal Buildings and the Interstate Commerce provisions of the Constitution have always given the Federal Government the power to regulate the airports and the commercial airline industry.

There is nothing in the Constitution that says the Federal Government has to accept bogus drivers licenses that are issued by the states particularly when some of those states refuse to take basic security precautions such as verifying the citizenship, legal status or even the true identity of the person to whom they are issuing a license. Those states are endangering all of us in every other state that has a saner policy.

People who live in states whose State Government uses their states' rights authority to not conform with the new standards will still be able to fly and enter Federal Buildings. They will just need to get an acceptable alternative form of Federal ID. It is called a passport. I suspect the citizens of those states will find this sufficiently irritating so that they will pressure their state legislatures to comply with the voluntary Federal standards.

[Age of Reason]

And the provision in the Constitution authorizing the Congress to make such an edict?

I believe it is legal for the states to ignore such rules set by the federal government.

However might the federal goverment stop certain funding to such states?

[muawiyah]

BTW, as you've no doubt discovered from other posts, Congress sets the law regarding immigration and citizenship. It's been that way since the adoption of the Constitution.

You must have missed it at the time, eh?!