DHS Delays REAL ID Implementation Indefinitely
The Department of Homeland Security has kicked the can on bringing states into compliance with the REAL ID Act, delaying yet again the implementation of uniform security requirements for drivers’ licenses.
DHS said today that just 13 states — Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming — have met the standards of the 2005 law, and “temporary deferment” has been granted for all other states and territories.
The act established minimum national standards for driver’s licenses and identification cards in order to be accepted by the federal government as documents to establish one’s identity for activities such as boarding a plane or entering certain federal facilities.
DHS issued the guidelines for state compliance nearly five years ago — on Jan. 11, 2008. From 2008 to 2011, DHS handed out $263 million in grants to help states get up to snuff.
In March 2011, the department announced that the deadline for full compliance with the REAL ID Act had been extended from May 10, 2011, to Jan. 15, 2013.
And yet, just 13 states are ready for 2013.
“The Department commends these states on the substantial progress in working toward these goals and the improvements in security for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards since 9/11,” DHS said in its announcement.
“Other states have not provided sufficient information, at this time, for DHS to determine if they meet the Act’s requirements. These states will have an opportunity to respond with additional information before DHS makes a final determination. DHS will continue to receive and review state submissions on a rolling basis.”
Seven states have laws on the books prohibiting compliance with REAL ID. Several other states have passed resolutions opposing the law.
Some lawmakers chided DHS for not providing enough guidance about what would happen with existing IDs from noncompliant states as the deadline loomed.
New Mexico Sens. Tom Udall (D) and Jeff Bingaman (D) wrote Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano yesterday to request another extension for states that have yet to fall into line.
“The lack of guidance by the Department of Homeland Security is causing a great deal of anxiety for our constituents, who are seeing news reports that they may need a passport in order to fly on domestic flights after January 15. We have been expecting an announcement that your Department will extend the deadline or delay enforcement of the Act, but to date there has been no statement either way. Such delays mean that many people may alter or cancel their travel plans or bear the expense of obtaining a passport they do not need,” the senators wrote.
“If the Department intends to extend the deadline, please make such an announcement immediately. If the Department does not intend to provide such an extension, please issue a public statement as soon as possible to reassure the traveling public that you will work to mitigate the adverse impact of REAL ID.”
Today’s statement from DHS grants a “temporary deferment that will allow Federal agencies to continue to accept their licenses and identification cards for boarding commercial aircraft and other official purposes,” but its timeline is incredibly vague.
“DHS’s goal is to implement the REAL ID Act, as required by law, in a measured, fair, and responsible way. In the coming weeks and months, DHS will, in consultation with States and stakeholders, develop a schedule for the phased enforcement of the Act’s statutory prohibitions to ensure that residents of all states are treated in a fair manner,” the department said. “DHS expects to publish a schedule by early fall 2013 and begin implementation at a suitable date thereafter.”
Illegal immigration hawk Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) said it’s just another stall tactic — and a broken promise by the administration that hasn’t given states any incentive to come into compliance.
On March 21, David Heyman, DHS Assistant Secretary for the Office of Policy, testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security that DHS would not delay implementation of REAL ID any more.
“During an oversight hearing that this committee had last November, Secretary Napolitano refused to say whether or not the DHS would hold firm to the Jan. 15, 2013, deadline. Is DHS going to extend the deadline again?” Sensenbrenner asked at that hearing.
“We have no plans to extend the deadline,” Heyman responded.
“Earlier this year, the administration testified before a Judiciary Subcommittee hearing that DHS would not delay the deadline for states to comply with REAL ID. I am disappointed and extremely concerned that the Obama administration will not be honoring that commitment,” Sensenbrenner, who introduced the original REAL ID bill, said today.
“This is a dangerous reversal. The administration is not taking seriously the security risk of delaying REAL ID implementation further.”
REAL ID isn’t quite a party line issue, with GOP opponents over the years including Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), and former Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.).
“Secure driver’s licenses and identification documents are a vital component of a holistic national security strategy. Law enforcement must be able to rely on government-issued identification documents and know that the bearer of such a document is who he or she claims to be,” the DHS said in its statement, which didn’t include direct comment from Napolitano.
The department says it’s “twice modified” the REAL ID deadline to compensate for “a period of declining state revenues.”
“Every step of the way, the administration has stonewalled implementation of this critical national security law. They have not given states necessary and timely guidance, encouraging states not to comply with delay after delay,” Sensenbrenner said.
“This is the fourth time DHS delayed implementation of something the 9/11 Commission said was critical to preventing another terrorist attack. The 9/11 hijackers had at least 30 pieces of identification on them,” he added. “We need the administration to implement the law and fulfill the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations.”
Nevada is not listed above as being one of the States in compliance with this law. I recently moved to Nevada from New York. My NY driver’s license shows my name as Mike. I file my Federal taxes as Mike, own my home as Mike etc. etc. However, My name on my birth certificate is William Michael. Nevada gave me a driver’s license in the name of William because of this law, with which Nevada is supposedly not in compliance.
This caused me all sorts of aggravation with airports, libraries, simple shopping etc., because the name on my Nevada driver’s license did not agree with the name on my credit cards, frequent flyer cards etc.
I had to get an attorney in NY and have my name legally changed to Mike. Luckily, I still had residence in NYS or my attorney could not have processed the name change. It took 5 months to process the name change, and it cost me $2,000. And with all the rigamarole my attorney had to go through I’m sure he ate part of the cost himself.
I have met several people in Nevada who have run into this problem. Some of them just switched names to their birth certificate name. But they were young and didn’t have all the IDs that I have. Most of them go around using two names. I tell them I think this is illegal. They just shrug. The whole thing is nutty.
Of course, if you’re an illegal alien you get special treatment. Use any name you like and the government insists that everyone accepts it. This country is turning upside down.
RealID is also illegal. It requires all of us to be registered, very like Germany did. It also requires all of us to be microchipped later if we want to be able to buy anything, have bank accounts, etc later.
You should all read it. They tried to see to it that the microchips (really “nano chips”- small enough to be given in a vaccine shot through the needle) were implemented by Obamacare, but Ron Paul stopped that. Everyone who was required to have Obamacare had to be microchipped. Yes, it is real, I read it myself.
Now I understand that that requirement is back (last month) in Obamacare again – very quietly. I will read it again and verify it, unless they did like they did with the Patriot Act – we are not “allowed” to read all of it, but we are held to obey it. If that is so, then if I were you, I would have my kids by midwife or they will be “chipped”, and never get a shot.
“Everyone who was required to have Obamacare had to be microchipped. Yes, it is real, I read it myself.”
But no one gets to learn where they can find the secret text, eh?
This kind of director ‘directive’ is exactly why government is held in such low esteme by the average citizen.
When it suits this director, who used to be a governor around here, as well as fellow cabinate member AJ Holder, Arizona is a terrorist state ressurecting the old south’s nastiest version of racism because we pushed for Border Security AND THE EXECUTION OF EXISTING IMMIGRATION LAW.
For this we regularly get denounced and sued by our own federal government.
But the capricious manner with which minons like Big Sis and Eric the Goon decide to blatently disregard and ignore the law – when it complicates their oppertunistic political agenda – they literally act as if they are Castro or Chavez – omnipresent and all powerful.
Why in the world doesn’t the congressional GOP use these kinds of fiat directives to go after their funding?
Why don’t these kind of political manuvers amp up a response that can be used for the bigger fights that matter such as over the debt?
Where are the movers and shakers in our camp?
Napolitano pulls this crap because it often goes completely unchallenged short of some sill-*&^%$ lawsuit via private not-for-profits like Judical Watch. I’m not saying that they don’t do a great job trying to push back and leverage some accountablility – I’m just saying these are exactly the kinds of political moves that have to be challenged with some broader sense of vision and tactics.
A pox on Weepy the push-over alkie we have for a limp House Leader – and ditto what passes for leadership in the Senate.
These dopes have been actually making Obama and Biden look like they belong in office. I’m sick of it.
The sooner there is a full fledged rebellion resulting in new leadership – over the cliff or under the bridge to grandma’s or whatever – the better.
Maybe the public’s opinion of Congress would improve if the House were to initiate impeachment proceedings against O’bwana and various Cabinet Secretaries who are not taking care that the laws are faithfuly carried out. Do Boner and Weak Reed think they’ll get credit for passing laws that nobody implements, with Congress taking no action? It makes the legislative process look like a Potemkin Congress.
Mama Janet, in toto with her boss, has NO intention of helping to verify anyone who may be illegal. In fact, she has done everything to thwart such efforts.
And this is the same DHS which has designated ‘Teabaggers’ and Vets as ‘insider threats’ – http://adinakutnicki.com/2012/10/08/the-politicizing-of-dhs-rendering-it-ineffective-a-danger-to-national-security-addendum-to-black-hawks-swirling-over-u-s-cities-commentary-by-adina-kutnicki/…but Islamists are NOT dangerous to the public.Nope.
The agency is misnamed. Instead, it should be renamed the ‘Dept of Aid to Illegals and Lawbreakers’.
Simple as that.
i swear, everytime i see that picture of her it reminds me of my high school math teacher. he really taught me a lot.
end of world day prediction: some day she, and her boss, and this whole gang of halfwit criminals will be on trial for crimes committed against the people of the United States of America.
fraud, treason, accessory to murder, conspiracy to commit …. the list is long already.
By her own admission Janet has not succeeded in getting the required verification implemented and has also said it is impossible to secure our borders. She clearly cannot do her job and either should be removed or resign. Of course, that would require an administration that takes seriously the enforcement of the law and security of our borders. DOJ and DHS are fully engaged in securing the “rights” of illegal immigrants.
Interesting. They are dragging their feet on REAL ID because then they would have no argument against allowing voter ID laws. Anyone who gets welfare, SSI, etcetera would have an ID.
… which can only make you extatic about Obama”Care” and the future ObamaControl, ObamaWarming and ObamaFracking.
Four long years! Brought to you by ObamaPhone and ObamaMoney.
This old bull d*ke is beginning to raise my dander. She reminds me of Seven on Star Trek Next Generation. “You will comply”. Why do I get the feeling we’ll be Borg-like in a few years – just part of the collective?
For the record Seven is HOT – Janet is NOT.
That was “7 of 9″ on Voyager (but I agree on the hotness factor).
I don’t understand the left.They take great strides to deny God,and replace him with golden images of themselves.They elevate third generation dependency,frown upon our military(and defund it),try to throw a canvas over our Constitution and erase the borders.I have visited old acid-heads in state institutions who made more sense!What they haven’t figured out yet is that Mexicans are a Religious people. Historically like the Irish,hard working and God fearing, who will not easily blend with our (modern democrats).
Blending is not necessary, or even desirable from the Democrats’ point of view. It is enough that they block vote, and their votes can be bought with public money. As long as they remain an insular minority, that will be the case.
Well, that’s too bad. That would have meant that the citizens of 37 states could not have used their drivers’ licenses as ID to board an airplane; and that means California gets to issue drivers’ licenses to illegal aliens, the airlines continue to make money, and Beverly Hills gets to keep their gardeners and maids.
I must plead ignorant of The Real ID Act. Is there a problem in this piece of legislation that causes 37 states to fail to comply?
Would it be possible for Ms. Johnson to write an article examining why 37 states have to date not acted on this legislation?
They want guidance from Janet Napolitano??!!
Bush’s hideous Real ID Act is a textbook example of the power of state nullification. A federal law is effectively dead because the majority of states refuse to comply. This precedent must be invoked when (not if) Obama tries to implement a national gun grab, when he tries to station TSA goons on the highways, or any number of other future tyrannical decrees.
Senate vote begins on reauthorizing surveillance programs By Ramsey Cox and Jennifer Martinez – 12/27/12
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/274713-senate-begins-voting-on-bill-to-reauthorize-intelligence-surveillance-programs