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FOR RELEASE:
October 1, 1999
National ID killed by House
Efforts by Rep. Paul, Sen. Shelby,
thousands of
Americas, preserves liberty
WASHINGTON, DC -- In approving the House-Senate compromise on the Transportation
Appropriations legislation Friday, the House of Representatives killed an ill-conceived
plan that would have prevented Americans from getting new jobs, boarding airplanes or
exercising their Second Amendment rights without holding a National ID card. The National
ID was slated to go into effect Oct. 1, 2000.
"This is a great moment for all Americans; we have succeeded in defeating a
program that would have deprived Americans of constitutional liberties, while imposing a
massive federal bureaucracy to monitor their every step from cradle to grave," said
Rep. Paul. "Thousands of Americans should feel great pride in knowing their calls and
letters to Members of Congress succeeded in stopping the National ID."
Rep. Paul led the fight against the National ID, introducing the bipartisan
HR2337, the Privacy Protection Act, in this Congress. He has also spoken and written
extensively on the subject.
Sen. Richard Shelby (R, Ala.) was instrumental in including the National ID repeal in the
Senate version of the appropriations measure.
In 1996, the House passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act,
which included a section requiring states to adopt federal standards for drivers' licenses
and birth certificates. Under the law's provisions, after Oct. 1, 2000, no one would be
allowed to border a commercial flight, purchase a handgun, receive federal benefits or
even take a new, private sector job without having an ID that met the national standards.
"That Congress would defeat this program reflects how strongly the American
people have reacted to such a gross infringement on constitutional liberties," said
Rep. Paul. "Like so much else Congress does, this small provision of the 1996
legislation was meant to accomplish a 'good thing' -- specifically, to cut down on fraud
committed by illegal immigration -- but the costs were obviously too high for Americans
from across the political spectrum."
While the House-Senate compromise of the transportation budget was approved Friday
by the House, it must still be passed by the Senate -- expected early next week -- and
signed into law by the president. |