Phyllis Schlafly is on questionable grounds for a "conservative" in her recent article. She comes out strongly in favor of the REAL ID Act (H.R. 418). She states:
All but 10 states already require driver's license applicants to prove legal presence in the United States. All but 14 states require verification of at least one of the documents applicants produce, and 22 states and the District of Columbia require licenses to expire with temporary visas.
The states that don't currently have these standards are a magnet not only for illegal immigrants, but also for foreign terrorists and U.S. criminals and identity thieves. Congress has a duty to close these monumental gaps in our national security, and the Senate should promptly pass the REAL ID ACT.
Where in the constitution does Congress have this duty imposed? Under what article and section does it have the authority to mandate standards for identification? When did we delegate to the Federal government such regulation of our own citizens? Make no mistake about it, for all she rests her argument on the fact that illegal immigrants can now obtain a driver's license, this would be regulating the lives of you and I. This moves us closer to a "National ID," something I have fairly consistently opposed. What difference would there be between that and an internal passport except that you wouldn't need the visa stamp pages? In that light, the clear course is to maintain control over identification at the state level, we should be working to remove the federal government from such matters, not increase its role.