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A federalized ID card plan based on state driver's licenses aims to increase security nationwide, but many fear the opposite at great cost to taxpayers.
The "Real ID Act", signed by President Bush in 2005, requires every state to recertify driver's license and identification card holders over a five-year period beginning in May 2008. Recertification calls for an in-person visit to state offices, such as the California Department of Motor Vehicles, with a certified birth certificate, current U.S. passport, social security card, and proof of address in hand.
The act was passed by Congress and is supported by the 9-11 Commission and the Department of Homeland Security.
Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke states, "At the end of day, we've seen how state-issued driver licenses are vulnerable; we've been repeatedly exploited by criminals and perpetrators of identity theft."
Various groups are opposed to the plan. They say the plan is too costly, unrealistic and puts private, personal information at greater risk of exploitation.
Knocke states, "While the implementation of Real ID is going to require some burdensome steps and tough decision-making, it's righteous and something that we have to move forward with."
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