This past week, the state of Maine agreed to comply with Real ID
regulations. Maine was the last state to agree to comply with Real
ID, making this a remarkable cornerstone for the program. All 56
U.S. jurisdictions and states have either complied with the law to
implement Real ID security standards by May 11, 2008, or have
applied for an extension of the deadline for security
improvements.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should be applauded
for its efforts to implement Real ID with the states' approval,
having negotiated the terms of the security requirements
respectfully and in good faith. Now it is up to Congress to hold up
its end of the bargain and fully fund the program.
Real ID's Turbulent Past
Real ID originally stemmed from the core recommendations by the
9/11 Commission Report to secure driver's licenses. Congress agreed
with the commission and passed the Real ID Act of 2005, which
established voluntary national minimum standards for state-issued
identification cards.
Real ID quickly fell under attack. Accusations that Real ID was
a national ID card and infringed civil liberties ran rampant.
States characterized the program as another unfunded mandate from
Washington. Some states were so opposed to the program that they
passed legislation against Real ID.
Some of the criticisms were without merit; however, concerns
regarding the costs of implementation were valid for many states.
Recognizing this, the DHS proposed a plan earlier this year to
reduce the costs of the program by 73 percent, provide further aid
to states, and provide extensions for those states that could not
meet the 2008 deadline.
Halfway There
Today, all jurisdictions have agreed to enhance their state
driver's license security features consistent with Real ID. Once
the issue of cost was resolved, the states were able to recognize
Real ID for what it truly is: a program that makes their state
driver's license's less vulnerable and thereby makes their citizens
more secure. Lately, the country does not seem to have agreed on
much, but everybody can agree that Real ID is necessary. Congress
should make certain that the DHS receives the money for Real ID so
that states are able to fully implement the program.
All governments-state, county, or federal-are obligated to protect
their citizens. Implementing Real ID is therefore the correct and
responsible thing to do. By complying, states will greatly enhance
the security of their citizens, facilitate easier travel and
commerce, and help to protect Americans from identity theft.
James Jay Carafano,
Ph.D., is Assistant Director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom
Davis Institute for International Studies and Senior Research
Fellow for National Security and Homeland Security in the Douglas
and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies; Diem Nguyen is
a Research Assistant in the Allison Center; and Charles D. Stimson is
Senior Legal Fellow in the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at
The Heritage Foundation.