WASHINGTON, DC - In response to a national outcry against Department of Transportation rules to establish a national ID system by the first of October, in the year 2000, US Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) on Wednesday introduced the Freedom and Privacy Restoration Act, HR4217. Rep. Bob Barr (R-Georgia) is an original cosponsor of the bill.

"We need to stop this move by the DoT dead in its tracks," said Paul, adding that the system is more than just a vague plan, but a program well underway.

In 1996, the Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which a section of authorized the federal Department of Transportation to establish national requirements for birth certificates and drivers' licenses.

"Under the current state of the law, the citizens of states which have drivers' licenses that do not conform to the federal standards by October 1, 2000, will find themselves essentially stripped of their ability to participate in life as we know it," said Paul. "On that date, Americans will not be able to get a job, open a bank account, apply for Social Security or Medicare, exercise their Second Amendment rights, or even take an airplane flight, unless they can produce a state-issued ID that conforms to the federal specifications."

Further, under the terms of the 1996 Kennedy-Kassebaum health-care law, Americans may be forced to present this federally-approved drivers' license before consulting a physician for medical treatment.

"This is simply unconscionable. The Constitution does not allow for this encroachment in state-rights, or on the civil liberties of the people," said Paul. "The federal government is treading on dangerous ground, and this scheme must be stopped. The American people will not stand for being forced to present a national ID before they open a bank account, travel to see their family, or see a doctor."

Paul said the notion of a federal government national identification card is part of a broader movement towards "cradle-to-grave" oversight of people's lives by the government.

"Our first question should always be, 'Why does the federal government want to know every detail of our lives, and have so much control over our every move?' The answer is often very simple: more money for the politicians to spend and more power for them to wield," said Paul.