McConnell Proposes Mandatory Intrusive National ID
Today, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) added an unrelated amendment to the immigration bill that would, for the first time ever, impose a federal requirement that all Americans must present proof of citizenship at the polls. If McConnell has his way, American citizens will be barred from even using a state issued drivers license as identification when casting their votes and would be required to have a passport or national identification card, just to be able to exercise the most fundamental and basic right in our democracy - the right to vote. This legislation would go so far as to exclude military identification and even McConnell's own Senate issued ID would be unacceptable.
McConnell's overreaching proposal is nothing new. Republicans in Congress and the Bush White House have repeatedly demonstrated their mistrust of Americans and their penchant for overreaching and invasive treatment, whether in hospital rooms, bedrooms, or the privacy of our phone records. Nor is McConnell's the only Republican effort to impose unnecessary requirements that will stifle the vote of millions of Americans. Republicans all over the country in states like Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Missouri and Georgia are attempting to pass restrictive voter ID laws that would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters from participating in federal, state and local elections.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement:"This time Republicans in Washington have gone too far. Senator McConnell's plan for a National ID card would not only disenfranchise tens of millions of American voters, it disregards the rights of individual states. While Republicans have tried to cast themselves as the party of limited government, the truth is, the expanse of their intrusion into American's lives seems to know no bounds. Now they want to burden ordinary Americans with extreme measures to prove citizenship or a mandatory national ID, which many people of all political persuasions believe to be intrusive and invasive.
"Democrats believe that Democracy is at its best when we work to make it easier for all eligible voters to participate in the process. Unfortunately Republicans who are failing Americans on gas prices, health care and national security seem to think they fare better when fewer Americans have an opportunity to vote and have their voices heard. Democrats will continue to fight Republicans overreaching efforts to manipulate the Democratic process and keep Americans under their thumbs. And we will work to protect the rights of all eligible voters who deserve to have their votes counted.
"The Senate should defeat the McConnell amendment and block any attempts to dilute the voting rights of America's citizens."
