The GOP National ID  

Increasing attention is finally being given to the fact that we in America are very close to having foisted upon us a national identification system. Gradually, faint echoes of "repeal" are being heard with regard to the national ID implementing legislation. As this idea begins to take hold, we must remain vigilantly aware that: It was the GOP who implemented the national ID program.  

The Department of Transportation (DOT) is now working to implement the federal regulations which will set up the National Identification Document (NID) system. The history of the underlying legislation clearly reveals that it was the Grand Old Party (GOP) that instituted the national ID program; all done under with the excuse of "saving the children," cracking down on dead-beat dads, and attempting to prohibit employment of illegal immigrants.  

Between 1994 and 1996 the Republican Congress almost independently enacted the legislation which now serves as the foundation for the national ID system -- the one we are currently scrambling to dismantle. Whether it was through simple ignorance or out right intent, it is GOP legislation which the national ID system is being based on. And, therefore, failure on our part to pay scrutinizingly close attention to all future related GOP actions may well result in the implementation of a "cure" much worse than the disease.  

Representatives Ron Paul and Bob Barr have recently undertaken -- on their own, individual initiative -- an effort to cut the legs out from under the national ID plan. These two genuinely understand the great harm a national ID system will cause this country. They both know what should be done to stop it. But theirs will be a difficult (if not impossible) task unless a significantly large segment of the American public quickly acts in a strong show of support for their effort. Once the ID system is fully in place, there will be no way to undo it.  

As with all other liberty-and-rights-encroaching Congressional acts, the most we can possibly HOPE to do now is to merely REGAIN some of the rights, liberties, and freedoms we recently lost.  

I was recently reminded of the communist motto: "Two steps forward and one step back." Those who would endeavor to steal our liberties know that if they enact fifteen laws encroaching our freedom, we'll spend nearly all our time, effort, and resources to only succeed in countering a small fraction of their enactments, and so the agenda advances. Their efforts are often successful for the simple fact that we generously finance their undertakings via tax dollars.  

As a result of the "Republican majority" coming to power in 1994 -- led by Newt Gingrich, Bill Archer, and Bob Dole -- we were inundated with new, liberty-seizing legislation. Perhaps the most socially destructive of all the Republican efforts were the multiple acts which grossly expanded and sanctified the use of Social Security numbers as universal identifiers. Under the provisions of the numerous Republican acts, submission of Social Security numbers has become mandatory as a condition for participation in what were previously unconditional, constitutionally protected, societal rights. And, consequentially, the SSN has become an integral component of the national identification document scheme.  

GATT REQUIREMENTS--  
REPUBLICANS INSTITUTE "NUMBERED AT BIRTH" PROGRAM  

The GOP/DOT/NID program all began back in 1994, when the 103rd Congress enacted the GATT "implementing legislation" known as the "Uruguay Round Agreements Act." This act instituted the "numbering at birth" program.

During Senate floor debates regarding the WTA/GATT implementing legislation, Republican Senator Pete Domenici spoke in favor of adopting the act. He made the following comments in an exchange with Senator Patrick Moynihan:  

   Mr. DOMENICI:  
   "A final question of special concern is that GATT requires  
   that every United States citizen receive an identification  
   number at birth, and that this matter is unrelated and irrelevant  
   to matters of trade. The answer is that this requirement is  
   included in the implementing language of GATT; it is not part of  
   the GATT itself. This language was included in the implementing  
   legislation because to ensure accurate assessments of income  
   taxes, improper deductions on tax returns must be minimized."  

   Mr. MOYNIHAN:  
   "It is the Social Security number."  

   Mr. DOMENICI:  
   "The Social Security number, that is right. As a consequence,  
   this section is designed to reduce tax cheating by people who  
   claim children they do not have, which has the effect of  
   reducing their taxes."  

   (Congressional Record, Pg. S15274-S15275, 1994)  
   (H.R. 5110 Uruguay Round Agreements Act, 1994, P.L. 103-465)  

Senator Domenici went on to acknowledged that the Act did in fact impose a requirement for every United States citizen to be numbered at birth; and he argued that such a requirement was necessary in order to comply with GATT.  

WELFARE REFORM REQUIREMENTS--  
REPUBLICANS CREATE NATIONAL TRACKING DATABASE AND SEEK TO MAKE  
STATES REQUIRE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS FOR ALL LICENSING PROGRAMS  

In January of 1995, during the "First One-Hundred Days," Republican Congresswoman Nancy Johnson sponsored the "Child Support Responsibility Act of 1995" (H.R. 785). Her amendments to the Social Security Act included establishment of "locating and tracking" databases, and new governmental reporting requirements under the guise of "cracking down on deadbeat dads." Ms. Pat Schroeder had these comments about the Republican child support enforcement bill:  

   "The central component of the Child Support Responsibility Act  
   of 1995 is the creation of a national databank that expands the  
   Federal Parent Locator Service and establishes a Federal Child  
   Support Registry. Highlights of the new bill include:  
   "Restricts professional, occupational, and business licenses  
   of noncustodial parents who have failed to pay child support.  
   "Restricts driver's licenses and vehicle registration of  
   noncustodial parents who fail to appear in child support  
   proceedings." (Congressional Record pg. H892, 1995)  

Also in 1995, Republican Representative Bill Archer introduced a similarly worded bill, H.R. 1214. His bill additionally proposed to amend Title 42 of the U.S. Code, section 405(c) so as to require that all states "shall require" Social Security numbers in the administration of their driver's licensing programs. This bill, and H.R. 785, were eventually incorporated into H.R. 4, The Contract With America, Welfare Reform Act. In the Senate a similarly worded bill, S.906, was cosponsored by Republican Senators Bob Dole and Olympia Snowe. (Congressional Record, pg. S2841, 1996)  

During floor discussion on H.R. 4, Republican Congresswoman Marge Roukema re-introduced amendments requiring all license applicants in the several states to submit SSNs. The claimed purpose was to locate and suspend the licenses of individuals who had violated child support laws (totally unrelated the licensed activity). Republican Congresswoman Morella had this to say about the proposed measure:  

   "[T]his license revocation amendment is so very important to child  
   support enforcement. It had its inception in the Women's Caucus  
   child support bill in the last Congress. It was also contained in  
   the Women's Caucus bill this year, too. This says States must have  
   license revocation procedures in place. The children of America  
   deserve this." (Congressional Record pg. H3629-3631, 1995)  

Republican Congresswoman Nancy Johnson stated:  

   "The Child Support Responsibility Act, which we introduced earlier  
   this year along with Congresswomen Connie Morella, Patricia  
   Schroeder, and Eleanor Holmes Norton, has been largely adopted  
   into the welfare reform bill before us today. The legislation sets  
   up interacting State databases of child support orders, which will  
   be matched against basic 'new hire' data so that State child  
   support officials can locate missing, non-paying parents."  

And, Republican Congressman Cunningham concluded:  

   "I rise in support of the amendment. I would like to advise the  
   gentlewoman from Colorado, it is the Republican bill that is  
   passing it."  

Yes, IT WAS the Republicans who passed this bill.  

On March 23, 1995, Republican Congressman Weller (IL) spoke on behalf of the Republicans regarding the "child support enforcement" measure. In support of final passage of the Personal Responsibility Reform Act (H.R. 4), Representative Weller said this:  

   "[A]s one of the chief sponsors of the Family Reinforcement Act, I  
   rise in strong support of the goals of child support enforcement  
   provisions and the Personal Responsibility Act. All are Republican  
   welfare reform initiatives. Let us vote for real reform that helps  
   kids, helps children. Let us pass H.R. 4 tomorrow on Friday."  
   (Congressional Record pg. H3705, 1995)  

On August 05, 1995, Republican Senator Bob Dole sponsored the final version of H.R. 4, the Child Support Enforcement amendments, in the Senate. (The Work Opportunity Act of 1995, was also referred to as the Personal Responsibility Act of 1995.) This bill included all of the SSN requirements which laid the groundwork for the national ID.  
(C.R. S11640, 1995)  

Meanwhile, back in the House, Republican Representative Goodling said this about the final draft of H.R. 4:  

   "This conference report comes at the end of a long and often  
   difficult process. I want to express my appreciation of my  
   colleagues who have not only worked so hard to achieve a conference  
   agreement but stood firm in helping us negotiate with the other  
   body to achieve a final agreement. I especially want to express my  
   appreciation to the [Republican] Speaker [Newt Gingrich] and to  
   the majority leader, as well as to [Republican] Chairman Archer  
   and [Republican] Chairman Shaw for their leadership during the  
   conference with the Senate." (C.R., pg. H15511, 1995)  

Republican Representative Bill Archer offered his final comments regarding H.R. 4, just prior to it being finally approved by the House. Speaking in exuberant support of the bill, Representative Archer stated:  

   "We bring forward today a great bill..."  
   "Mr. Speaker, this is a great bill and a great opportunity  
   to solve one of our Nation's most vexing problems.  
   "This is a bill that only an extreme liberal could oppose.  
   I urge all my colleagues to fix welfare and vote for his  
   conference report." (C.R., pg. H15511, 1995)  

The Republican Congress did, in fact, do just as Dole and Archer had asked. On December 29, 1995, Congress PASSED H.R. 4, the Contract With America, Welfare Reform Act of 1995. (C. R., H15658, 1995)  

However, President Bill Clinton VETOED H.R. 4, immediately thereafter.  

Then, within just a few short months of Clinton's veto -- during the very first part of the 1996 session -- the Republican Congress once again considered virtually the very same welfare reform act that Clinton had just vetoed (this time as "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996," or PRWORA, Public Law 104-193, H.R. 3453). And this time it was quickly enacted with little or no resistance or fanfare.  

BALANCED BUDGET ACT REQUIREMENTS--  
REPUBLICANS THREATEN SUSPENSION OF FEDERAL WELFARE FUNDING TO EXTORT  STATES INTO REQUIRING SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS FOR ALL STATE-ISSUED  
LICENSES  

With enactment of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Public Law: 105-33, H.R. 2015) the Welfare Reform Act was further expanded (this time deceptively as a "technical correction") so as to now require Social Security numbers from ALL driver's license applicants.  

Initially, the only way the Republicans could get the SSN-for-license requirements passed was to limit the "driver's license" requirement to only "commercial" driver's licenses. But in 1997, in a well thought out slight of hand, Republican members crafted a "technical corrections" bill that would consummate the ugly job begun the previous year.  

Regarding these "technical corrections" Representative Levin had this to tell his fellow Congress members:  

   "Today we are considering the Welfare Reform Technical Corrections  
   Act of 1997. This legislation will correct technical problems that  
   impact implementation of the Personal Responsibility and Work  
   Opportunity Reconciliation Act. ... As we all know, it is  
   inevitable when we pass comprehensive legislation that we must go  
   back and correct technical errors. ... Each of the measures in  
   this bill is technical in nature and does not change the substance  
   of the new law."  

Mrs. Kennelly of Connecticut said:  

   "I thank the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Shaw] and the gentleman  
   from Michigan [Mr. Levin] for their hard work. I know that there  
   are some who might say there is more interesting work than  
   technical corrections but nothing is more important across this  
   country to people who really do not know exactly what is said in  
   the statute and, therefore, have to interpret it and live by it."  

Representative Kennelly was one of the chief sponsors of the initial license revocation amendments. She know full well, all along, that the initial act only applied to "commercial" driver's licenses. This was the scheme used to get it passed.  

And remember Republican Representative Goodling who was quoted earlier as saying how pleased he was with Bill Archer's work on the requirements for SSNs contained in the previous welfare act? Well, here's what Goodling said about the "technical corrections" which changed the entire for SSNs:  

   "I want to emphasize that these amendments are technical and  
   clarifying in nature..."  

These minor "technical corrections" Mr. Goodling spoke of changed the SSN reporting requirement so that instead of the law applying to only the very small and limited class of "commercial" driver's -- as originally written -- it now applied to ALL 180 million "non-commercial" citizen drivers! This "minor change" resulted in this Act impacting more Americans than does most other "major" legislation.  Isn't there some law against lying to Congress?  

The 1997 "technical corrections" bill additionally added recreational and sporting (i.e., hunting, fishing, boating) licenses to the list of items for which SSNs are required.  

As amended in 1997, via the 1997 Balanced Budget Act, the Republicans' Welfare Reform Act now imposes the funding-contingent requirement upon ALL state agencies that they must obtain Social Security numbers from ALL applicants in the issuance of driver's licenses, professional licenses, occupational licenses, sporting and recreational licenses, birth certificates, death certificates, marriage certificates, and divorce decrees. States failing to implement these requirements will lose all federal welfare funding.  
  

IMMIGRATION CONTROL REQUIREMENTS--  
REPUBLICANS SEAL THE DEAL ON THE LAST PIECES OF THE NATIONAL ID SYSTEM  PUZZLE  

And, finally, another piece of Republican legislation (now law) is just about to be implemented by way of the recently proposed Department of Transportation driver's license regulation -- which will ultimately result in the inevitable establishment of a standardized national identification document system.  

In 1996 Congress began debate on the "Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996," H.R. 2202, (Public Law 104-208; now serving as the impetus for the proposed rule). At that time, Republican Senator Alan Simpson proposed a series of amendments to the Immigration Reform bill which included all the requirements forcing the states to standardize birth certificates and driver's licenses by October 1, 2000, (C.R. Pg. S4390-4393, 1996). His amendments were eventually incorporated into the enacted bill.  

U.S. Republican Senator Phil Graham did speak out openly and strongly against H.R. 2202, but his effort was not independently sufficient in stopping the larger GOP plan. Also, Senator Abraham spoke against the bill and said that it would result in the establishment of a natal ID. He stated:  

   "This [bill] will force States to conform to Federal standards in  
   issuing these documents, because States' citizens will want to be  
   able to use them for Federal purposes. It is an intrusion into an  
   area properly subject to State control and another step toward a  
   national identification system. It is unnecessary and it should not  
   be undertaken. (C.R. Pg. S11886, 1996)  

Ultimately, the Republican majority won out and the Illegal Immigration Reform Act was approved along with the establishment of a national ID program.  
  

TAX CREDITS FOR CHILDREN REQUIREMENTS--  
REPUBLICANS USE TAX PENALTIES TO FORCE THE SHACKLES OF SSNs ONTO  
CHILDREN; NUMBER THEM, OR THEY DON'T EXIST  

As recently as last year, (1997) the Republican Congress again imposed new SSN reporting requirements; this time with the consequence of a stiff new tax penalty for anyone who opposes it. The screws have been steadily and incrementally tightened over the recent years on the requirement to furnish a SSN in order to receive child tax credits. This past year Congress turned the screws the final full turn and passed the "Taxpayer "Relief Act of 1997" (talk about a misnomer) (H.R. 2014) which further requires that every parent must use numbers to identify their children in order to claim them for tax credits. As a consequence of this Republican enactment, the federal government will not recognize nor acknowledge that you even have children (or that they are yours) unless you have them numbered. Again our "conservative" Republican Congress (in furtherance of the "Contract On America") has imposed yet another new tax stipulation designed to force all parents who haven't done so already to number their children. (This is similar to the GATT enumeration at birth legislation; just another nail in the coffin.)  
  

IT WAS THE GOP THAT PASSED ALL OF IT!!!  
  

So far, ONLY Representatives Ron Paul and Bob Barr have stepped up to the plate and offered to do anything to repeal the GOP numbering and tracking program. Absent their success, every American will be tracked from cradle to grave. So far, two -- TWO -- Republican Representatives have taken real action to turn this all around.  

As with all vices and offences, the first step towards correction is to admit the failure. Then, where harm has been caused, apologies are in order with immediate corrective measures engaged. Not until the GOP undertakes those prerequisites will we have any real hope of stopping the national ID. Once the GOP remembers that this is America, once the GOP actually dismantles the machinery of slavery THEY have hammered into place -- perhaps then will be time enough for commendations and praise for the GOP.  

In the mean time, the national identification plan should be labeled, known as, AND GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS: "The GOP National ID"  
  

Scott McDonald  

======================================================================