Congress Works to Implement Orwellian Biometric ID System to Constantly Monitor Citizens’ Daily Lives

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Congress Works to Implement Orwellian Biometric ID System to Constantly Monitor Citizens’ Daily Lives

October 29th, 2015

Awake Goy

Life in post-Constitutional America has progressively become less free,
as evidenced by the actions of the federal government and the Congress.
One of the latest grand schemes is the resurrection of a previously
disclosed, and opposed, plan to track every single one of us. ~ J D Heyes

As reported by The New American
magazine, the federal government, over the years, has failed to
convince states, on their own, to adopt a national identification system
known as REAL ID, a Bush-era concept developed by the newly created
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) using technology to verify
citizenship.

The problem is, the technology would also allow for
tracking, much like the retail industry uses RFID – radio frequency
identification – to track the movement of goods.

Since about 2005, a majority of state governors have opposed REAL ID, which was initially passed as an anti-terrorism measure in 2004,
and which requires the standardization of driver’s licenses and ID
cards, for one, over concerns about privacy and the cost of compliance.
The 2005 law went into effect this year.

What happened to federalism and the Tenth Amendment?

Now,
as noted further by TNA, there is a renewed push to formalize REAL ID
on a national scale because states continue to oppose it, in the name of
fighting illegal immigration:

The controversial plan,
embedded in an immigration-enforcement bill, has been in the works for
years, but has consistently been met with stiff opposition from
liberty-minded grassroots organizations and activists.

While the plan
has failed in previous Congresses thanks to a groundswell of opposition,
critics of the measure say that without prompt action, the
unconstitutional scheme could soon become a reality.

That federal measure, the Legal Workforce Act,
seeks to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining jobs in the U.S. One
of the more troubling aspects, however, is that the legislation would
mandate a national ID card for every American as a condition of working.

In addition, every employer in the country would be required to
purchase “E-Verify” technology that accesses a national database run by
the federal government to see if potential employees have the right to being employed in the country.

Under provisions of the initial REAL ID legislation in the previous administration, notes DHS government approval of licenses is required before Americans can access government buildings or, eventually, board an airplane.

DHS, on its web site, notes:

The REAL ID Act of 2005:

—
Establishes minimum standards for the production and issuance of
state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards and authorizes
grants to assist states in implementing the requirements;

— Prohibits Federal agencies from accepting for official uses driver’s licenses and identity cards from states unless the Department of Homeland Security determines that the state meets the standards.

Official uses are defined as accessing Federal facilities, entering
nuclear power plants, and boarding federally-regulated commercial
aircraft.

States don’t want it but may get it anyway

The
implications to privacy are the most disturbing to critics, including
former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, now chairman of the Campaign for
Liberty.

“Every time any citizen applies for a job, the
government would know – and you can bet its only a matter of time until
‘ID scans’ will be required to make even routine purchases, as well,”
Paul warned, adding that “statists in both parties have been fighting to
ram their radical national ID-database scheme into law” for years.”

“In
fact, this scheme was a key portion of the infamous so-called
‘Comprehensive Immigration Reform’ bills both parties have tried to ram
through,” he continued, as reported by The New American.

“And now, Paul says, some in Congress believe they have found a way to impose their national ID: Drop the amnesty provisions and focus on immigration “security.”

“The
‘security’ members of both parties in the U.S. House want doesn’t
target any U.S. border,” Paul added. “Instead, it’s meant to create an
all-out police state within them.”