Barrasso Floor Statement on Denying Driver's Licenses for Illegal Immigrants

Mr. President, I would like to take a few minutes to discuss the issue of giving legal government documents to people who are in the United States illegally. There is no question that our immigration process is broken. People who attempt to enter the United States legally, to work or join their families often face years of bureaucratic red tape and incredible delays.

Legal entry into the United States has become more difficult as a result of the events of September 11, 2001. There is no question this should be the case. Unfortunately, illegal entry remains a significant problem. It is estimated between 13 million and 20 million individuals are illegally in the United States.

The fact that the estimates are so far apart should, in and of itself, give us all cause for concern. What should also give us concern is that there are efforts in the United States today to provide driver's licenses to those in the country illegally.

I believe such efforts are inappropriate and a serious threat to our national security. There is no question that legally issuing driver's licenses or other official government documents to individuals who are in the United States illegally, puts our entire country at risk.

I am troubled by those who argue that we will be safer if we provide official government papers to those who have come to our nation illegally. I believe this is the wrong path for us to take and it is contrary to the lessons we should have learned from the events of September 11.

To receive a driver's license, any state used to require proof that someone can drive and proof of identity through a legally issued government document. This was often done through a notarized birth certificate, or passport.

Over time, criminals found ways to forge these documents and made it easier for individuals to illegally acquire identification.

Some of the 9/11 hijackers had acquired identification documents through forged papers.

It should be a wakeup call to all of us. More must be done to prevent this from happening in the future.

This past year in the Wyoming Senate, I worked with Representative Pete Illoway to pass legislation making it a crime to use false documents to conceal a person's identity, citizenship, or resident alien status to obtain public resources or services.

We specifically identified driver's licenses in the law because of the significance the document plays in allowing individuals to freely move about the country.

The bill was passed by the legislature and signed into law.

The value of a legally issued driver's license cannot be underestimated in maintaining our national security. We get it in Wyoming.

I, along with many people in America, cannot understand the arguments supporting the issuance of driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

To me, giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants will compromise our national security.

Mr. President, we have an immediate situation before us where illegal immigrants in certain parts of the country will be provided government documents that will allow them to freely travel all across our great nation.

It is inconceivable to me that this will make our nation safer. The federal government has a responsibility to secure our borders and the interior of the United States.

Though the effort has come up short over the years, it doesn't mean that we should throw up our hands and do nothing.

I believe we must take action . . . aggressive action to address this issue.

Today I have introduced S. 2334, a straight-forward legislative proposal to deal with states that provide driver's licenses to those who are in our nation illegally.

My legislation would require states to verify lawful presence in the United States before granting a driver's license.

States that refuse would lose part of their federal transportation funds. Those federal transportation funds would be redistributed to states that follow this law.

I don't know if this is the perfect solution. I do know that issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants is wrong.

Rewarding illegal immigrants, people who have broken into our country and rewarding them with a driver's license is a flawed idea. It is an idea that deserves Congress' immediate attention.

We cannot allow our country to go down this path and the time for action is today, not tomorrow.

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