Rep. David Dreier wants to force all Americans to carry a national ID card around with them. The California Republican is not about to describe his new bill in those terms, but that’s the reality.
Dreier’s legislation would prohibit employers from hiring people unless the job applicants first obtain new federal ID cards with their photograph, Social Security number and an “encrypted electronic strip” with additional information. Any employer who fails to comply faces hefty fines and prison terms of up to five years.
Dreier is smart enough to realize that these federal IDs would be immediately forged, so he takes the next step of linking them to an employment eligibility database that’s queried by card readers whenever the ID is swiped. The employment database is required to include “all such data maintained by the Department of Homeland Security,” combined with what the Social Security Administration has on file.