WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2007
Feds Try To Tighten Driver's License Rules
Post-9/11 Security Regulations Meant To Deter Terrorists, Illegal Immigrants Face Opposition
-
(CBS)
-
Timeline In Terror's Wake A look at the major developments following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
-
Interactive Immigration And Naturalization Who's coming to America? Find out what's being done to screen for terrorists and take a citizenship quiz.
The Homeland Security Department has spent years crafting the final regulations for the REAL ID Act, a law designed to make it harder for terrorists, illegal immigrants and con artists to get government-issued identification. The effort once envisioned to take effect in 2008 has been pushed back in the hopes of winning over skeptical state officials.
Even with more time, more federal help, and technical advances, REAL ID still faces stiff opposition from civil liberties groups.
To address some of those concerns, the government now plans to phase in a secure ID initiative that Congress passed into law in 2005. Now, DHS plans a key deadline in 2011, and then further measures to be enacted three years later, according to congressional staffers who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because an announcement had not yet been made. DHS officials briefed legislative aides on the details late Thursday.
The Sept. 11 attacks were the main motivation for the changes.
The hijacker-pilot who flew into the Pentagon, Hani Hanjour, had a total of four driver's licenses and ID cards from three states. The DHS, which was created in response to the attacks, has created a slogan for REAL ID: "One driver, one license."
By 2014, anyone seeking to board an airplane or enter a federal building would have to present a REAL ID-compliant driver's license, with the notable exception of those more than 50 years old, Homeland Security officials said.
The over-50 exemption was created to give states more time to get everyone new licenses, and officials say the risk of someone in that age group being a terrorist, illegal immigrant or con artist is much less.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
More From U.S.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
- 1
- 2
- 3
- next
See all 57 CommentsRe: "Welcome to Nazi America."
I guess you have never travelled through the check points in southern California. I thought they were toll boths and was digging for change.
Because we are just to tired.
That way there is no card to lose.
Better yet, let''s get a microchip implanted under our skin at birth.
Have your "papers" ready at all times!
Trying to arrest and deport all "illegals" will do nothing good for America.
Like it or not there are just too many of them and they are important for our economy.
Who knows.
Get rid of all illegals? That''s impossible and it would require a fascist military police-state.
Calling for the arrest and deportation of all 15 million "illegals" is liek what the Nazis tried to do in Germany but instead of hating "jews" you hate "illegals".
It''s easy to forget that Adolf Hitler did the same thing in Nazi Germany.
-- James Madison
"The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home."
-- James Madison
"I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."
-- James Madison
"As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be most aware of change in the air - however slight - lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness."
-- Justice William O. Douglas
"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifist for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."
-- Hermann Goering, Adolf Hitler''s Reich-Marshall
at the Nuremberg Trials after WWII
I live in the Lone Star state too and, be it known, that I am against building a super-highway for the drug and people smugglers convenience. I certainly am against allowing them to enter the state before clearing U.S.customs. I have also learned that governors generally don''t give a rip what I want. If Mexican truckers are allowed to drive through they need to speak english (same as airline pilots who fly in) and they need to meet the same driver''s and equipment requirements as the US truckers. If they get caught lacking in any of these, they should be black-listed from crossing the border and their company should be fined about a year''s profit.
I guess I see both sides of the picture on this issue. I do not like the idea of a police state but I already have to show my driver''s license when asked by a cop, to write a check, to get on an airliner, etc. I do not know what is in that law so I don''t know what the states are required to do to comply with it. On the other hand, why do I need driver''s licenses from multiple states if I am an honest citizen? What honest citizen of the United States really needs a false I.D.? I see a potiential for abuse of this system but I also see some positive things about it in denying I.D.s to people who do not deserve them.
I think its rediculous for the states to have different driving standards, yet we are allowed to drive across statelines. When we violate a state driving regulation, ignorance is NOT an excuse. For a person to travel from California to Georgia look how many states that person would cross. If we had a standardized driving test and identification nationwide, I''d imagine more folks would know to yield to vehicles exiting a freeway and they''d know to merge into traffic entering a freeway rather than cutting people off. People would also know to wear their seat belts so they won''t get ejected in roll overs. I''m sorry for her loss, but when someone rear ends me, I would hardly consider that MY fault.
tucker and rowdy, y''all know that Perry also wants that big division down the middle of the state so Mexicans can better travel to DFW and on to Canada and Canadians can do the same on their way to Mexico, don''t you?
Yep, I''m more Republican than Democrat, but I surely do NOT support Perry on the transpecos corridor.
I will support the national drivers license though. I think its about the best idea the politicians have come up with in several years.
After spending all that money--they still won''''t know how to keep up with whatever they think it will do.
The FBI has 800,000 names on the terror watch list they don''''t know what to do with.
The eavesdropping of Americans by this illustrious government hasn''''t paid their "wiretapping" bill.
Ok, just one more thing to drop the ball on!
Posted by liberalme at 09:29 AM : Jan 11, 2008
#######
And you thought Republicans wanted "smaller government" !!
Where is that "gut feeling" procedure that was being advertised ??
After spending all that money--they still won''t know how to keep up with whatever they think it will do.
The FBI has 800,000 names on the terror watch list they don''t know what to do with.
The eavesdropping of Americans by this illustrious government hasn''t paid their "wiretapping" bill.
Ok, just one more thing to drop the ball on!
- 1
- 2
- 3
- next
See all 57 Comments