[KarlInOhio]

So, the amnesty bill was shot down because people were concerned about privacy issues dealing with a national ID, even though to get a job you already have to show a easily forgeable national ID (SS card) plus inform the government a dozen different ways of your desire for a job (SS taxes, fed taxes, state tax, city tax, unemployment tax, worker's comp "premiums", etc. etc.)? I would be more worried about having to show an ID for everything else, but employment verification is the very last one.

I would be more concerned about the idiots in DC screwing up the database which would keep a citizen from working, but that issue was never really touched.

The reason why some wanted to remove the ID requirement was to allow new illegals (even after most get Z-visas) to continue to get jobs.

[2ndDivisionVet]

BTW, the Social Security number was never meant to be used for identification purposes. Like just about everything else from Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” it has become more and more of a monster as time goes by...

[Logophile]

I would be more concerned about the idiots in DC screwing up the database which would keep a citizen from working, but that issue was never really touched.

As well you should. There is no such thing as an "unforgeable" ID card. The card will have to be linked to a database. Then the problem becomes one of data integrity.

Suppose some clerk in Washington accidentally were to change your database entry, marking you as deceased. Not only would you be unable to get a job; you would be prevented from boarding an airplane, opening a back account, or taking out a loan. How long would it take to correct the error? And how much would it cost you?