H.R. 418 National ID Card Provisions
Gun Owners of America
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408

March 16, 2005

Dear Representative:

We understand that H.R. 418’s national ID card provisions may be offered to the supplemental appropriations bill.

We would urge you, in the strongest terms, to oppose this anti-gun legislation.

We share your concern that the flood of illegal immigrants threatens our economy and our national security. We have, in fact, drafted legislation to ban illegal aliens from getting drivers’ licenses — immediately — no exceptions.

Suffice it to say that H.R. 418 would not do that. Rather than creating an air-tight bar against illegal immigration, H.R. 418 would, instead, threaten law-abiding American citizens by giving federal bureaucrats control over every aspect of a state’s issuance of drivers’ licenses.

The bill lists “minimum” requirements for drivers’ licenses. But these would be minimums. The federal government could require ANY characteristics it chose, including fingerprints, retina scans, and encoded personal information.

The bill lists “minimum” requirements for documentation. But these would be minimums. The federal government could require documentation so strict that many American citizens would be barred from the identification they needed to perform life’s most essential tasks — including buying a gun.

The bill lists “minimum” requirements in order to obtain a driver’s license. But these would be minimums. The sort of “enemies lists” which have, from time to time, barred Senator Edward Kennedy and Congressman Don Young from boarding planes could send many Americans into Orwellian nightmares.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. H.R. 418 — or an amendment to the supplemental embodying it — may be well intentioned, but it will have lasting negative repercussions for American citizens.

Sincerely,

Larry Pratt
Executive Director