On the seventh anniversary of its passage, I sent this letter, below, telling Congress to repeal the REAL ID Act.
I invite you to send one as well.
It’s more effective to write a letter of your own, but you have permission to borrow from or copy-and-paste this letter…
Seven years ago, the Senate passed the REAL ID Act.
It passed only because it was attached to a bill authorizing war spending and tsunami relief.
I’m thankful that it hasn’t yet been fully implemented. But REAL ID, or some other form of a national ID system, is still possible.
The only real way to prevent a national ID is to repeal REAL ID and order the Administration to stop devising similar programs.
You MUST do this, for these reasons:
1. There is zero Constitutional authority for the federal government to either regulate state ID cards or impose a national identification system.
2. REAL ID would put my personal information into a federal database, making it MORE vulnerable to hacking and theft.
3. When fully implemented nationwide, I wouldn’t be able to board a plane without a REAL ID card – even though the Constitution protects my right to travel across state lines.
4. REAL ID imposes unconstitutional, unfunded mandates on the states. That’s why, in large part, 25 of them are resisting. This makes REAL ID unworkable and futile.
5. REAL ID creates obstacles to the elderly, poor, divorced women, and others who may have trouble finding all the required documents to “prove” their identity.
6. REAL ID would NOT have prevented 9/11! All but two of the 9/11 hijackers were in the U.S. legally and could have obtained a REAL ID card, and ALL of them had a passport allowing them to fly. (http://tinyurl.com/8xllv7q)
7. If fully implemented, REAL ID will soon be mandatory in order to make a living. One Presidential candidate is already proposing we all need one. And we all know that such an ID will eventually contain tracking technology.
Instead of stopping terrorism or illegal immigration, REAL ID only makes life more difficult for innocent Americans.
Respect your oath of office. Use common sense. Respect human dignity and freedom.
REPEAL REAL ID, and stop every other national ID program.
END LETTER
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Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
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