Access Card - Going,Going......... but not quite gone.

Tim; I thought I would pass this on- belatedly, but I felt you could use it.

Barr Opposes Provision in Immigration Bill
Urges Senate to Drop National ID Proposal

Wednesday, June 06, 2007 at 12:30 PM

Atlanta, GA, – Former Congressman Bob Barr, who has offered general support for the Immigration Bill currently pending in the U.S. Senate, has taken strong exception to a particular section hidden deep within the massive bill that requires the use of a REAL ID. The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 and, once it takes full effect in two years, would mandate that all state drivers’ licenses adhere to federal standards in order to be accepted for any “federal purpose,” such as airline travel, obtaining federal benefits or access to any federal facility. Under the provision in the immigration reform bill, a REAL ID Act-compliant driver’s license would be one of only two forms of identification a U.S. citizen could use lawfully to obtain or retain employment; the only other being a passport.

Barr has now written to key members of the U.S. Senate urging that the REAL ID Act provision in the immigration bill be removed. For one thing, Barr said, “no America citizen should have to prove to a government entity who they are in order to obtain or retain employment.” “In the second place,” Barr continued, “if such a provision remains, and if a job applicant is a U.S. citizen he or she should be allowed to establish that fact through any number of legitimate identification documents. Thirdly, and most importantly, limiting the permissible forms of identification to those that are REAL ID Act-compliant is especially problematic, given the strong and legitimate concerns with what is essentially a national identification card that the REAL ID Act has engendered.” Barr also noted that already a number of states are enacting legislation that would opt out of the REAL ID Act provisions. Finally, Barr said, “the immigration bill should not be allowed to serve as a stealth REAL ID Implementation Act.”

For further information, please visit www.bobbarr.org or contact Taryn Jones at 770.836.1776.

Barr, a former Member of Congress (1995-2003), also served previously as a US Attorney and with the Central Intelligence Agency. He is a lawyer and currently works with national organizations on issues related to privacy and national security.