No Driver's Licenses for Illegal Immigrants

Several weeks ago, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer announced that his state would begin issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.  Spitzer's plan was reminiscent of a similar policy imposed by former California Governor Gray Davis, which was quickly repealed after voters recalled Davis.  Despite the American people's overwhelming opposition to this idea, several Democratic presidential candidates, including Senator Hillary Clinton, expressed support for Spitzer's proposal.

I believe issuing official forms of identification, such as driver's licenses, to illegal immigrants is both an affront to the rule of law and a threat to our national security.  The terrorists who carried out the September 11 attacks obtained a number of state-issued IDs that they used to avoid scrutiny.  Although I'm pleased that Governor Spitzer finally backed away from his ill-considered proposal earlier this week, I believe it's time for Congress to step in.  States should not be able to flout federal immigration laws.  For this reason, yesterday I joined New York Congressman Peter King, the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Homeland Security, and over 150 other members of Congress in co-sponsoring legislation to prohibit states from issuing driver's licenses and other official forms of identification to individuals who are in our country illegally.