Need More Democrats? Then Just Endanger National Security

We have just gone through the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. In the wake of that tragic mass murder, a bipartisan Congress formed the 9/11 Commission both to investigate the attack and to propose methods by which future attacks could be prevented. Some good came out of it. One remedy was the REAL ID Act.

The REAL ID Act established strong standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards. This included all of the most state-of-the-art enhancements to those cards available. The enhancements include eventual use of holographic images on every card, and a magnetic strip capable of protecting the security of the card and data privacy. And in order to obtain one of these cards, the applicant is required to demonstrate proof of citizenship, or sufficient verifiable information for the issuing authority to verify citizenship independently. Those legally allowed in the United States, but not citizens, would be allowed to have an ID card, but included in the information in the security strip there would be information proving the person has entered and remained in the United States legally.

As we predicted awhile back, the Obama administration is going to start slipping dangerous but low-profile legislative proposals to Congress while the nation's attention is on Obamacare and Cap and Tax. Secretary of Homeland Insecurity Janet Napolitano has put together her wish list of things she thinks are too cost-ineffective or redundant. Among them is REAL ID. The program, although not yet fully implemented in every state, has been a success. No terrorists have boarded an American plane successfully since 9/11. But absence is not proof. So how do we know it works?

The Act produced a very successful side-effect. One of the major concerns of the 9/11 Commission was terrorists sneaking across the borders and obtaining or manufacturing fake IDs. Since the Act was already accomplishing one purpose, the legislation covered another one--employers in certain categories are required to check REAL IDs for proof of citizenship or work visas. Scores of illegals have been caught and deported because of their attempts to duplicate REAL IDs unsuccessfully. And every illegal (and that doesn't just mean Mexican immigrants by any means) is a potential terrorist.

Napolitano has plenty of cover for her willingess to put America at greater risk again. Hard-pressed states have complained about the cost (couldn't we use some of those billions in unused stimulus money to defray the cost?). "Civil rights" activists naturally complain that it's racist. Scofflaw corporations complain that it interferes with their ability to hire low-wage unskilled labor. And the average citizen either doesn't know about the Act, or has forgotten about it. Truly effective laws do have a way of slipping out of the public consciousness.

So here's what's now before Congress. It's called the PASS ID resolution. It would roll back every meaningful portion of the REAL ID Act. It removes the requirement of states exchanging information on holders of their respective driver's licenses and IDs. It will negate the current portion of the Act which requires that upon implementation of the Act in each state, airlines must require the use of a REAL ID cards or an acceptable alternative (such as a diplomatic passport) before being allowed through the boarding gate. It would eliminate the "no tamper" security portion of the data strip. And the proposed legislation even further weakens its own inadequate provisions by extending the time for the states to comply with the pathetic PASS ID.

No security device is ever entirely secure or tamper-proof. But they can become sufficiently sophisticated that the number of people who would be capable of defeating them decreases exponentially. And the more sophisticated, the more expensive, thereby eliminating another large swath of potential terrorists being able to get past the system. I'll take 90% secure over 10% or 15% secure any day in the week. And before anybody screams "National ID, the government's out to get us," REAL ID standardizes high-security procedures already in place and improves them, but the final authority remains with the states. And frankly, I want the federal government to know the moment someone produces a fake or inadequate ID rather than a REAL ID-quality ID.

As I've said over and over again, if we even take a quick nap, this administration will exploit our inattention to increase government control of our lives and our economy while at the same time reducing our ability to defend ourselves and ferret out terrorists. They will continue to fund useless make-work projects and radical "community organizers." But protecting our very lives is too expensive. Still believe that Obamacare won't ration medical treatment?

Side Note: For those of you who may be unaware of this, after the most recent round of indictments and convictions for voter fraud, the Bureau of the Census has sent a formal notice to ACORN that its services will no longer be considered to be in the national interest for conducting the next census. Bye Bye ACORN