WASHINGTON — Under siege from states and angry lawmakers, the White House on Thursday moved back a deadline to implement national driver's license standards that critics say would seriously undermine personal privacy and burden states with a hefty bill.
The announcement that states could have an extra 20 months, until the end of 2009, to meet the requirements of the Real ID Act did little to ease criticism of the law from conservative activists, privacy advocates, motor vehicle departments and lawmakers.
The widespread resistance to a policy the administration considers an essential weapon in the war on terrorism reflects a shift from the almost total support the administration initially enjoyed for its national security agenda after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Almost two dozen states are now weighing legislation to oppose Real ID, with some governors dismissing it as a "nightmare." Lawmakers also disagree on such domestic security priorities as how widely to screen cargo entering the country's sea and land ports.
"In the months after Sept. 11, we adopted a 'do anything, do everything' mode," said Jim Harper, a public policy expert at the libertarian Cato Institute who advises the Department of Homeland Security and opposes the Real ID Act. "Here with five-plus years behind us, now it's time to look at what does work and what doesn't, and lift the veil of secrecy."
Delayed implementation would not resolve the serious privacy and security concerns that Real ID raises, said Tim Sparapani, legislative counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union. "Essentially, we've just kicked the can down the road another two years," he said.
Security features
The 2005 law requires new tamper-proof security features on licenses issued only to people who can prove citizenship or legal status. Their personal information would be kept in a database network that would be accessible by motor vehicle departments nationwide. All Americans would be required to renew their licenses by 2013. Those without one would be barred from federal buildings or airplanes unless they could show a passport or some other form of federally approved photo identification.
The decision to postpone the Real ID deadline came as the Senate appeared poised to pass an amendment to do just that and to require input from technology experts and privacy advocates.
