Nominee Would Lead ID Program She Opposed

MATTHEW L. WALD
NY Times
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2008

As governor of Arizona, Janet Napolitano, President-elect Barack Obama’s choice for homeland security secretary, pledged that her state would not cooperate with a major domestic security initiative, the Real ID drivers’ license program.

The program, which she would direct if confirmed as secretary, imposes stringent requirements on states for confirming the identity and legal residency of people who want drivers’ licenses. Ms. Napolitano said the law would impose huge costs on the states without reimbursement from Washington.

In June, she signed into law a bill that forbids Arizona from cooperating with the federal requirements. The state law had no immediate effect, because Arizona already had a federal waiver allowing it to delay enactment until 2009.

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Last year, as the chairwoman of the National Governors Association, Ms. Napolitano testified before a Senate committee that the program would cost the states $11 billion. Since then, Congress has appropriated $100 million to meet some of the costs.

Real ID follows the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission; it was passed without hearings or debate, attached to a mostly unrelated bill.

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t

Janice L. Kephart, a staff member for the 9/11 Commission, said, “I’m hoping she will see this program from the federal government side and see it with new eyes.”

Full article here

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