Former 9/11 commission member advocates REAL ID cards

Former senator and 9/11 Commission member Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) recently testified that he advocates alternate methods for complying with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) as passed by Congress in 2004, namely REAL ID cards.
“I know that many in New Hampshire and elsewhere have opposed the security-enhanced drivers licenses that will take effect under the REAL ID Act, but this new law does come with benefits,” Slade said on behalf of the Business for Economic Security, Tourism and Trade (BESTT) Coalition at a field hearing before the Senate Subcommittee on International Operations and Terrorism.
“First, it creates a more secure foundation document for all of our nation’s security cards, whether the passport, the PASS Card, or other options,” Slade says. “Second, it allows us to consider how, on an individual, voluntary basis, drivers’ licenses themselves can be combined with other requirements, like [WHTI], for purposes like border crossing.”
WHTI charges the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State to “develop and implement a plan… to require a passport or other document, or combination of documents, deemed by the Secretary of Homeland Security to be sufficient to denote identity and citizenship, for all travel into the United States.”
Currently under consideration for WHTI compliance is the controversial People Access Security and Service (PASS) Card. The PASS Card would require all of the same information and processing time as a passport but is approximately half the cost, fits in a wallet and would work only for land crossings.
In his testimony, Senator Gorton expressed support for improved security standards, but had reservations about the PASS Card proposal.
“Listening to, and working closely with states to realize the potential benefits of REAL ID will greatly aid in adopting practical and effective policies,” he added.