Reply #10: War Funding Bill Passed By The House And Senate! [View All]

[Itsthetruth]

The war funding bill passed the Senate by a vote of 99 to 0! The House version of the bill which included the ID was easily passed.

Representatives of the Senate and House will now meet in conference and decide on a final bill which will probably include the ID section.

That's my understanding of what is happening.

Here's more info:

Senate Passes $81 Billion War Spending Bill
Tuesday April 26, 2005
By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed an $81.3 billion spending bill to keep U.S. combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan running and to provide additional help to last December's tsunami victims.

By a vote of 99-0, the Senate passed the emergency spending bill that also funds some new domestic security measures, including the hiring of additional border agents.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050 ...


ACLU Urges Conferees to Remove "Real ID" From Funding Measure; Proposal Attacks the Persecuted, Harms Immigrants
April 26, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: [e-mail]

WASHINGTON - As proponents of the Real ID Act stepped up pressure on legislators, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged Congressional conferees to strip the anti-privacy, anti-asylum, anti-property rights bill from an appropriations measure to fund the war in Iraq and tsunami relief.

"Proponents are selling the Real ID Act as a fix to the immigration system, when it actually makes thing worse," said Timothy H. Edgar, ACLU Policy Counsel for National Security. "Sadly, Congress did not take the time to carefully consider and review its provisions - if it had, lawmakers would see that the Real ID Act not only denies the persecuted safe haven here, but it would place undue burdens on legal permanent residents and citizens alike. The conferees must reject the Real ID provisions that have been tacked on to the military operations funding measure."

The House sent the Real ID Act to the Senate as part of a "must pass" appropriations measure for the war in Iraq and tsunami relief. Despite objections from Senators that such sweeping changes should not happen without thorough review, House Republican leaders are pushing to keep Real ID in the final conference report. The ACLU noted that neither chamber has held hearings or held thorough discussions on the measure.

The ACLU has been joined in opposition to the Real ID act by a myriad of groups, including the National Association of Evangelicals, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the National Council of State Legislatures, the National Governors Association and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

The act goes against international law and allows government officials to demand written "corroboration" from those seeking asylum. For instance, a Chinese woman seeking asylum after being forced to have an abortion could be required to obtain proof of her abuse from the doctors who performed the procedure.

Additionally, the Real ID Act would waive all state and federal laws to give the Department of Homeland Security unconditional authority to build barriers along the entire border -- placing private property in the hands of federal agents for a "land grab" for national security purposes.

The act also takes us one step closer to a national ID, and a "show us your papers" society by forcing states to link their databases -- containing every licensed driver’s personal information -- with other states and with Canada and Mexico. The act includes no guidelines as to who will have access to that information.

"The Real ID Act would undermine the changes made to drivers’ licenses last year by the intelligence reform legislation," said Timothy H. Sparapani, an ACLU Legislative Counsel. "Even now, an independent panel is examining the issue of drivers licenses. Their work would be in vain if Real ID passes. Congress must reject it."