Obama has been against REAL ID in the past, and she's been against it as well. We'll see what happens next.

I expect REAL ID to heat up as an issue around January.

Nominee Would Lead ID Program She Opposed
www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02...icense.html

By MATTHEW L. WALD
December 2, 2008

WASHINGTON - 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.

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.

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."

A stronger national driver's license system would help the states improve
highway safety by assuring that drivers do not obtain more than one license,
Ms. Kephart said, and it could cut Medicare and Medicaid fraud.

Hani Hanjour, the hijacker flew the plane that crashed into the Pentagon on
Sept. 11, 2001, had an Arizona license, she said.

The federal government has said that people carrying drivers' licenses that
do not comply with its requirements will not be allowed into federal
buildings and will have difficulty boarding planes. The American Civil
Liberties Union and some state legislators say that the program amounts to a
national identification card, with civil liberties and privacy implications.
Ms. Napolitano, however, has mostly focused on the cost. Mr. Obama, as a
candidate, did the same.

The rules issued by the Bush administration require each state to verify the
authenticity of an applicant's documents and keep copies, along with digital
photos, so the information can be shared with other states. The department
issued the regulations so late that nearly all the deadlines fall after Mr.
Bush leaves office.



Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company