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2005 Ron Paul Chapter 7
Not linked on Ron Paul’s Congressional website.
Congressional Record [.PDF]
National ID
26 January 2005
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. PAUL).
(Mr. PAUL asked and was given permission
to revise and extend his remarks.)
2005 Ron Paul 7:1
Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
2005 Ron Paul 7:2
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule. I rise also in support of the Sessions
amendment. But I also would like
to take this time to make a few comments
about why I will be voting
against the bill.
2005 Ron Paul 7:3
With the utmost sincerity and a deep conviction, I am quite confident that
this bill, if you vote for it, you will be
voting for a national ID card. I know
some will argue against that and they
say this is voluntary, but it really cannot
be voluntary. If a State opts out,
nobody is going to accept their driver’s
license. So this is not voluntary.
2005 Ron Paul 7:4
As a matter of fact, even the House Republican Conference, which sent a
statement around with some points
about this bill, said “the Federal Government
should set standards for the
issuance of birth certificates and
sources of identification such as driver’s
licenses.”
2005 Ron Paul 7:5
This is nationalization of all identification. It will be the confirmation of
the notion that we will be carrying our
papers.
2005 Ron Paul 7:6
As a matter of fact, I think it might be worse than just carrying our papers
and showing our papers, because in this
bill there are no limitations as to the
information that may be placed on this
identification card. There are minimum
standards, but no maximum limitations.
2005 Ron Paul 7:7
The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security can add anything it
wants. So if they would like to put on
our driver’s license that you belong to
a pro-gun group, it may well become
mandatory, because there may be an
administration some day that might
like to have that information.
2005 Ron Paul 7:8
But there is no limitation as far as biometrics and there is no limitation
as far as radio frequency identification.
That technology is already available
and being used on our passports. This
means that you do not have to show
your papers. All you have to do is walk
by somebody that has a radio frequency
ability to read your passport or
read your driver’s license. There is no
limitation as to what they can put on
these documents.
2005 Ron Paul 7:9
This bill also allows the definition of “terrorism” to be re-defined. There are
no limitations.
2005 Ron Paul 7:10
In many ways I understand how well intentioned this is, but to me it is sort
of like the gun issue. Conservatives always
know that you do not register
guns, that is just terrible, because the
criminals will not register their guns.
But what are we doing with this bill?
We are registering all the American
people, and your goal is to register the
criminals and the thugs and the terrorists.
2005 Ron Paul 7:11
Well, why does a terrorist need a driver’s license? They can just steal a
car or steal an airplane or steal a bus
or whatever they want to do. So you
are registering all the American people
because you are looking for a terrorist,
and all the terrorist is going to do is
avoid the law. But we all, the American
people, will have to obey the law.
If we do not, we go to prison.
2005 Ron Paul 7:12
So I rise in strong objection to this bill. I hope there will be a few that will
oppose H.R. 418.
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