National ID plan may have killed immigration bill

[lanlady]

Source: C|Net News.com

The U.S. Senate definitively rejected President George Bush's immigration bill on Thursday, just hours after senators expressed deep misgivings with portions that would have expanded the use of a national ID card.

Because the procedural vote was 46 to 53, with 60 votes needed to advance the immigration legislation, the proposal is likely to remain dead for the rest of the year.

Privacy advocates were quick to claim that a vote against Real ID cards the previous evening doomed the bill.

Wednesday's vote showed that senators were willing to delete the portion of the labyrinthine immigration bill that would require employers to demand the Real ID cards from new hires. Because some of the bill's backers had insisted that the ID requirement remain in place--as a way to identify illegal immigrants--they were no longer as willing to support the overall bill.

Read more: http://news.com.com/2100-7348_3-6193916.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news

[David__77]

1. Next: internal passport laws.

Like South Africa. Millions of Mexican laborers with restricted passports. I can see it now. Group areas acts.

We need the federal government to NOT have this potential tool of oppression.

[razorman]

3. This is really frightening. Unfortunately, it is not simply a Dem/Repub issue.

This sort of onerous idea is a feature of an over-reaching, all-powerful government. That's why we have constitutional checks and balances. But they will not work unless we are ready to defend them against the powerful forces that want to run our lives.

[w4rma]

2. That bill would have been even worse than I thought it was to begin with. (nt)

[Robson]

4. I have no problem with a "real ID"

An ID card that is secure, tamper-proof, with photo and built upon real biometric and historical data and kept in a central data base is a good idea for all American residents. It should be required by all employers or for major financial transactions to minimize the chance of ID theft. There have been ID theft cases where it was difficult to prove one's identity. The state driver's licenses have become a joke.

[Eugene]

5. Alternatively, it packs more personal info into DMV records, already popular targets for ID theft.

REAL ID mandates the collection of more personal data
along with more places for it to be compromised. Besides,
how many merchants check and verify ID during a credit-
based sale?

For employment purposes, it should only be necessary
to verify that a worker's documents are genuine. Existing
laws and technology provide for verifying SSN's, but
businesses balk when the government tries workplace
enforcement.

Having the government keep a central database tracking
the identity, whereabouts (with proof) and movements
of every citizen is overkill.

[Jacobin]

6. We already have a national ID. Its called a "Passport"

If you can manage to get one, anyway

[truebrit71]

7. Ihre papieren bitte!

"Your papers please"

FUCK. THAT. SHIT.