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Questions for Secretary Napolitano: Real ID

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano is tentatively scheduled to testify before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee about DHS immigration enforcement policies on May 6, 2009. Given Secretary Napolitano’s novel interpretations of federal law, the Heritage Foundation will be posting a series of questions (and suggested answers) for the Secretary. Past questions can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Does the Obama Administration support the implementation of the Real ID Act?

Congress has passed two bills that set Real ID standards for driver’s licenses in all U.S. jurisdictions. The Real ID legislation does not create a federal identification card, but it does set minimum security standards for driver’s licenses. All states have either agreed to comply with these standards or have applied for an extension of the deadline. Secure identification cards will make fraudulent documents more difficult to obtain and will also simplify employers’ efforts to check documents when verifying employer eligibility. Real ID is a sensible protection against identify fraud.

Congress is set to introduce legislation next week that could largely repeal the Real ID. The Administration should put pressure on Congress to ensure that this legislation does not effectively eliminate the Real ID standards.

For more Heritage research on Real ID, check out: The Heritage Foundation’s Research on Real ID.

  • Author: Jena McNeill
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4 Comments

May 4, 2009 Marsha, Wheeling WV writes:

Real ID. A law with common sense values, otherwise congress would have not passed the law post 9/11.

We have many laws that already deal with the individual and their legal Status.

Why, Secretary Napolitano are you not enforcing the law(s)?

You took an oath to uphold the constitution and protect the laws of the United States. Obviously you blur who is legal and not legal while dismissing Real ID which you have no right to do.

Our concern has nothing to do with ethnicity. It has to do with your violation of the law which the American people have the right to receive legal compensation from your violation. You are a servant of the people not the other way around. It is time for the people to have our voices heard and for those who serve in Washington to realize that we the people have the power to remove you and the likes of you through constitutional means if you continue to violate the constitution, state and federal laws. Just because you are appointed to an office that really should not exist under the constitution you seem to feel you have a right to do your own thing; you are wrong. Real ID not only protects an individual’s identity it protects against someone using your identity to secure illegal employment. Rabble coming across the boarder North or South is not only a national security problem, a common sense problem and it is moronic stupidity for any government official to support.

The Representative Republic does not give the Executive branch a right to violate the Seven Articles to the Constriction and Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments) and the subsequent amendments to the constitution. I don’t see anything in the 14th Amendment that gives the rabble the right to come into this country illegally which is a violation of laws both at the state and federal levels that are on the books.

These individuals should not be allowed to stay in the United States. We do not want people who can not respect the laws of the land. If they violated a basic law that says you must apply for admittance to the U.S. then what else will they do illegally? Those who tell white lies have no morality against telling large lies. This is the same for those who are violating admittance laws.

May 4, 2009 Marsha, Wheeling West Virginia writes:

Correction= Seven articles of the constitution and Bill of Rights.

May 6, 2009 Questions for Heritage: REAL ID | Think Tank West writes:

[...] The Heritage Foundation’s “The Foundry” blog has a post up called “Questions for Secretary Napolitano: Real ID.” [...]

May 6, 2009 Cato vs. Heritage: REAL ID | East Metro Atlanta Libertarian Party writes:

[...] at Cato @ Liberty, Jim Harper questions the Heritage Foundation over a post on the REAL ID, a law passed in 2005 as part of an emergency appropriations bill that sets national standards for [...]

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