Apparently the US government is pushing through a bill that will introduce a de facto national ID card system on the back of a another bill on military spending. Curiously many US citizens are unaware that it is happening.
FAQ: How Real ID will affect you
By Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
What’s all the fuss with the Real ID Act about?
President Bush is expected to sign an $82 billion military spending bill soon that will, in part, create electronically readable, federally approved ID cards for Americans. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the package–which includes the Real ID Act–on Thursday.What does that mean for me?
Starting three years from now, if you live or work in the United States, you’ll need a federally approved ID card to travel on an airplane, open a bank account, collect Social Security payments, or take advantage of nearly any government service. Practically speaking, your driver’s license likely will have to be reissued to meet federal standards. The Real ID Act hands the Department of Homeland Security the power to set these standards and determine whether state drivers’ licenses and other ID cards pass muster. Only ID cards approved by Homeland Security can be accepted “for any official purpose” by the feds.UnRealID
Papers, Please!Real ID = National ID Card
This Tuesday, the US Senate is scheduled to vote on the implementation of a national ID card system. The Real ID Act is nothing less than a Real National ID Act. The only thing left to the individual states is to decide which pretty picture they will choose to put on the card: everything else will be controlled by Washington DC bureaucrats.
The Real ID Act has never been debated on the US Senate floor. They’ve never talked about it in any committee. Heck, most of them haven’t even read it! Yet they’re planning to vote on it on Tuesday, no questions asked.
For more on the Real ID Act and why it is an ineffective waste of money that will actually introduce security problems rather than solve a security issue take a look at Bruce Schneier’s excellent blogpost and read the comments if you have time.
