- Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this important
hearing
examining the question of whether national ID cards would enhance security.
Protecting the security of the American people from foreign threats is
the most important responsibility of the federal government, and there
is much the government needs to do in this area. Among the steps the
federal
government should take is to restrict immigration from countries which
support or harbor terrorists, and implement policies to effectively enforce
existing immigration laws. Moreover, private property owners certainly
can take steps to protect their property from terrorists and other
criminals.
For example, it is perfectly legitimate for airlines to issue private ID
cards to passengers and perform background checks as a condition of selling
them a ticket.
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- However, Congress should reject proposals which provide
only the illusion of security, while in reality simply eroding
constitutional
government and individual liberty. Perhaps the most onerous example of
a proposal that creates the illusion of security (yet really promotes
servitude)
is the plan to force all Americans to carry a national ID card. A uniform
national system of identification would allow the federal government to
inappropriately monitor the movements and transactions of every citizen.
History shows that when government gains the power to monitor the actions
of the people, it inevitably uses that power in harmful ways.
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- A national ID card threatens liberty, but it will not
enhance safety. Subjecting every citizen to surveillance actually diverts
resources away from tracking and apprehending terrorists toward needless
snooping on innocent Americans! This is what has happened with
"suspicious
activity reports" required by the Bank Secrecy Act. Thanks to BSA
mandates, federal officials are forced to waste time snooping through the
private financial transactions of innocent Americans merely because their
banking activities seem suspicious to a bank clerk.
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- Furthermore, the federal government has no constitutional
authority to require law-abiding Americans to present any form of
identification
before engaging in private transactions (e.g. getting a job, opening a
bank account, or seeking medical assistance). As we consider how best to
enhance the federal government's ability to ensure the safety of the
people,
it is more important then ever that Congress remain mindful of the
constitutional
limitations on its power.
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- In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I once again express my
gratitude to the committee for holding this important hearing. I also would
remind my colleagues that national ID cards are a trademark of
totalitarianism
that contribute nothing to the security of the American people. I therefore
urge my colleagues to reject all proposals for a national ID, and focus
instead on measures that will effectively protect both security and
liberty.
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- November 16, 2001
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- Dr. Ron Paul is a Republican member of Congress
from Texas.
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