Smith & Grassley: Delaying REAL ID Implementation Endangers American Lives

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano regarding the implementation and future of REAL ID.  DHS has pushed back the REAL ID deadline by 20 months to January 15, 2013 and Secretary Napolitano has once again called for the repeal of REAL ID.

Enacted in response to a 9/11 Commission recommendation, REAL ID helps prevent terrorists from obtaining valid drivers’ licenses and identification cards which allow them to blend into American society. The 9/11 terrorists obtained over 30 drivers’ licenses. They ultimately used these forms of identification to board commercial planes on the morning of September 11. 

Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas): “Full implementation of REAL ID is critical to our ability to prevent terrorist attacks.  Ten years ago, the 9/11 terrorists used multiple state-issued forms of identification to carry out a massive attack on U.S. soil, killing thousands of innocent Americans. Just last month, a terrorist plot was thwarted in Texas.  The would-be terrorist, a Saudi Arabian national, noted that he would need multiple drivers’ licenses in order to successfully carry out his plot. We cannot afford to leave this dangerous loophole open for terrorists to exploit. To undermine the REAL ID law is to make it easier for terrorists to operate in the U.S.  The Administration should stop trying to undercut REAL ID and instead support the full implementation of this critical national security law.” 

Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa): “REAL ID is more than protecting an individual’s identity; it’s about protecting the American people by making sure licenses are secure and impede a terrorist’s ability to carry out attacks.  The REAL ID Act was a direct result of the 9/11 Commission Report, and was signed into law to improve our national security and protect the American people from terrorist attacks.  It’s clear from recent arrests that terrorists want to exploit our weak identification requirements to carry out attacks on Americans.  The administration needs to commit to full implementation of current law, instead of kicking the can down the road.”

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Letter to Secretary Janet Napolitano Text PDF