Thursday, March 3, 2005
It's now time to shift our focus to the U.S. Senate.
You may remember that the House of Representatives recently passed
H.R. 418, the National ID card bill. But the bill has been met with
a lukewarm reception in the Senate.
So House sponsors are now trying to increase the bill's chances by
sneaking it onto a politically popular piece of legislation -- the
Iraq War/Tsunami relief bill.
H.R. 418 was largely supported in the House because it purports to
deal with illegal immigration and terrorism.
Too bad that H.R. 418 does not do what it is supposed to do:
* Illegals will still be able to get a driver's license without proof
of citizenship in those states that permit it (about 11).
* Illegals will still be able to pour across our southern border
because funding for only three miles of the 1,000 mile border was
provided in H.R. 418.
* And terrorists will be able to fly with a driver's license or a
passport -- and pilots are still largely unarmed thanks to the
refusal of the federal government to comply with two laws enacted by
Congress.
H.R. 418 is Bad for Constitutional Government
The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says, "The powers not
delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by
it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the
people."
So, what part of "States" don't they understand? Or, to put it
another way, where is it that the Constitution mentions federal
control over drivers' licenses?
Yet, a faction of usually pro-freedom representatives in the House
seem determined to put the federal government in charge of who may or
may not get a driver's license -- perhaps the last major prerogative
retained by the states.
This is the same group that is embracing a $2.57 trillion federal
budget -- almost three times the level of federal spending only 25
years ago. They have simply lost their way.
Under section 202(b) of H.R. 418 -- slated to be added to the
"supplemental appropriations bill" -- the federal government gives
itself the authority to determine every feature on your driver's
license. Some features are explicitly listed, but these enumerated
features are "A MINIMUM." In addition to these, the government can
require your fingerprints, your retina scan, your concealed carry
status, or any other requirement it chooses -- by executive fiat.
Backdoor Gun Control
Under section 202(c), the government grants itself the power to
determine what you need to do to get a driver's license -- and who
may or may not get one. Some requirements are listed, but these
enumerated requirements are "A MINIMUM."
The government can impose any requirements it chooses by executive
fiat. If, under a Hillary Clinton administration, a militia group --
or GOA or NRA -- were determined to be a "terrorist organization,"
your driver's license would be gone.
But that's not all: Under section 203, your personal information
could be turned over to a non-secure database accessible to, among
others, the corrupt and crime-ridden Mexican police.
And, under section 202(a)(2), the federal government would solely
determine "whether a State is meeting the requirements" imposed by
that very same federal government!
Spurious Arguments in Favor of H.R. 418
So what are conservative politicians saying about this monstrosity?
They say the bill mentions nothing about retina scans. And that's
true. Instead, it gives the federal government an unlimited grant of
power to determine every feature on your driver's license -- and it
demands that you trust the government not to abuse its powers.
Have these people been asleep for the last thirty years? Have they
not heard of Ruby Ridge? Or Waco? Or Elian Gonzalez?
How Officials Abuse Records on Honest Citizens
Columnist Paul Craig Roberts has been critical of the
unconstitutional growth of federal police power. He found out after
having been "randomly" pulled aside for intensive screening at
airports that he had been put on the No Fly List.
Every time he flies he has to prove he is not a bomber by submitting
to intensive screening. And this is what they do to an ex-Marine and
ex-cop!
Roberts' case illustrates the kind of abuse that a national data base
is already being used for.
Gun owners have long experienced the unconstitutional requirement of
proving who they are when they buy a gun. The problem becomes more
than theoretical when a buyer's name is the same as a prohibited
person.
The buyer usually -- even if it takes a few days -- is able to prove
who they are. But the records, like the No Fly List, are not
permanently corrected. The citizen-suspect must prove his innocence
each time he buys a gun or flies.
More Spurious Arguments
In the 9/11 bill last year, Congress included some scary National ID
card provisions. Those same Congressmen are arguing that H.R. 418
would limit the scope of those provisions. However, the simple fact
is that a LIMITLESS grant of power does not limit anything.
The politicians argue that the problem of illegal immigration is so
profound that it overrides the provisions of the Constitution.
We agree that the problem is severe. But H.R. 418 would not bar
states from issuing drivers' licenses to illegal aliens --
particularly those who have applied for asylum or status adjustment.
Instead, it penalizes American citizens, while coddling illegal
aliens.
ACTION: Please write your two United States Senators and ask them to
reject any effort to add National ID Cards to the Iraq/Tsunami Relief
bill.
