[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 175 (Tuesday, November 13, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14287-S14288]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BARRASSO (for himself and Mr. Enzi):
  S. 2334. A bill to withhold 10 percent of the Federal funding 
apportioned for highway construction and maintenance from States that 
issue driver's licenses to individuals without verifying the legal 
status of such individuals; read the first time.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I would like to take a few minutes today 
to discuss the issue of giving legal government documents to people who 
are in the United States illegally.
  There is no question our immigration process is broken. People who 
attempt to enter the United States legally--to work, to join their 
families--well, they often face bureaucratic redtape and incredible 
delays. Legal entry into the United States has become more difficult as 
a result of the events of September 11, 2001. There is no question that 
should be the case.
  Unfortunately, illegal entry remains a significant problem. It is 
estimated that between 13 million and 20 million people are illegally 
in the United States. The fact that the estimates are so far apart 
should in and of itself give us all cause for concern.
  What should also give us concern is that there are efforts in the 
United States today to provide driver's licenses to those in this 
country illegally. I believe such efforts are inappropriate and are a 
serious threat to our national security.
  There is no question that legally issuing driver's licenses or other 
government documents to people who are here illegally puts our entire 
Nation at risk. I am troubled by those who argue that we will be safer 
if we provide official government papers to those who have come to our 
country illegally. I believe this is the wrong path. It is the wrong 
path for us to take, and it is contrary to the lessons we should have 
learned from the events of September 11.
  To receive a driver's license, any State used to require proof that 
someone could drive and proof of identity through a legally issued 
government document. This was often done through a notarized birth 
certificate or a passport. Over time, criminals have found ways to 
forge these documents, and they made it easier for individuals to 
illegally acquire identification, such as a driver's license.
  Some of the 9/11 hijackers had acquired identification documents 
through forged papers. It should be a wake-up call to all of us. More 
must be done to prevent this from happening in the future.
  This past year, in the Wyoming State Senate, I worked with 
Representative Pete Illoway to pass legislation making it a crime to 
use false documents to conceal a person's identity, to conceal a 
person's citizenship, or to conceal their resident alien status in 
order to obtain public resources or public services. We specifically 
identified driver's licenses in the law in Wyoming because of the 
significance that document plays in allowing individuals to freely move 
about the country. The bill was passed by the legislature and was 
signed into law. The value of legally issued driver's licenses cannot 
be underestimated in

[[Page S14288]]

maintaining our national security. In Wyoming, we get it.
  I, along with many people in America, cannot understand the arguments 
supporting the issuance of driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. To 
me, giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants will compromise our 
national security.
  We have an immediate situation before us where illegal immigrants in 
certain parts of the country will be provided government documents that 
will allow them to freely travel all across our great Nation. It is 
inconceivable to me that this will make our Nation safer.
  The Federal Government has a responsibility to secure our borders and 
to secure the interior of the United States. Though that effort has 
come up short over the years, it does not mean we should throw up our 
hands and do nothing. I believe we must take action--aggressive 
action--to address this issue.
  Today, I am introducing a straightforward legislative proposal. It is 
S. 2334. It is a straightforward legislative proposal to deal with 
States that provide driver's licenses to those who are in our Nation 
illegally. Simply stated, my legislation would require States to verify 
lawful presence in the United States before granting a driver's 
license. States that refuse would lose a part of their Federal 
transportation funds, and those Federal transportation funds would then 
be redistributed to the States that do follow the law.
  I do not know if this is a perfect solution. I do know that issuing 
driver's licenses to illegal immigrants is wrong. Rewarding illegal 
immigrants--people who have broken into our country--with a driver's 
license is a flawed idea. It is an idea that deserves Congress's 
immediate attention. We cannot allow our country to go down this path. 
The time for action is today.
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