Washington -- Reflecting on the frustration she sometimes felt as a Wyoming State Legislator, U.S. Representative Barbara Cubin is reaching out to Wyoming lawmakers to dispel misunderstandings regarding federally enacted legislation known as “REAL ID.”

“I have long been proud of the work the Wyoming Legislature has done to protect Wyoming’s citizens from the effects of federal legislation that simply did not fit in our state,” Cubin said in a letter sent yesterday to Members of the Wyoming State House and Senate.  “With this in mind, and in reference to House Joint Resolution 8 (HJ8), I commend the Wyoming House and Senate for their vigilance in monitoring federal legislation that would affect Wyoming’s citizens.”

Cubin’s letter describes the link between unauthorized documentation and threats to America’s homeland security which necessitated the REAL ID legislation.  The legislation, which the United States House and Senate vetted at length during multiple sessions of Congress, was signed into law in 2005. 

“The 19 terrorists who attacked our country on September 11, 2001, held 63 valid driver’s licenses,” Cubin said.  “This doesn’t just mean that Mohammad Atta and the rest were allowed to drive a car; rather, with those valid licenses they were allowed access to airplanes and federal buildings, and to open bank accounts; it granted them a legitimacy in our country they should never have been granted; it allowed them to use our own substandard laws against us.” 

In her letter, Cubin refutes assertions that the REAL ID Act creates a national ID and a national database of private information, calling both claims untrue. 

“The federal REAL ID program merely establishes a minimum national standard for physical and identity security that states may or may not elect to accept,” Cubin explained.  “First, the new driver’s license will require no additional information that is not already required to apply for or renew a driver’s license.  Instead, it only strengthens state governments’ ability to ensure that applicants are, in fact, who they say they are.  Second, the new driver’s licenses will allow state and federal law enforcement to check the authenticity of a license, but will not grant access to state databases of private information.”

Cubin also rebutted claims that REAL ID would be an unfunded mandate on states. 

“Congress set aside federal grant money to aid states in making the transition,” Cubin stated.  “Wyoming is eligible to receive this grant money to offset the estimated $5 million cost.”

Across the nation, the liberal-leaning American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has led efforts to defeat REAL ID, referring to the law as a “real nightmare.”

“Notwithstanding the false claims of the ACLU, the REAL ID program strikes the right balance between strengthening our homeland security and safeguarding our citizens’ rights and privacy,” Cubin said.  “...The possibility of an additional few minutes waiting for a secure and private driver’s license is a small price to pay to ensure that a valid license does not again end up in the hands of terrorists.”

A sample copy of Cubin’s letter is attached.  HJ8, which urges Congress to repeal the REAL ID law, has been referred to the Senate Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee.