"The Senate approved the [military spending bill, HR 418] by a 100-0 vote Tuesday. The House easily approved the measure last week. It now goes to President Bush for his signature, which is certain...
"The measure requires states to start issuing more uniform driver's licenses and verify the citizenship or legal status of people getting them [and that's all you get from the AP about Real ID, it seems -- Ed.]. It also toughens asylum laws, authorizes the completion of a fence across the California-Mexico border, and provides money to hire more border security agents. The House had included most of the provisions in its version of the bill. The Senate did not but agreed during negotiations to go along with the House."
So, the next steps will have to be raising awareness about Real ID and bringing litigation in the states.
On to the next thing:
"Critics of the USA Patriot Act on Tuesday called for the Senate to temper the anti-terrorism law's provisions that let police conduct secret searches of people's homes or businesses, but defenders say since no abuses have been documented the law should be renewed."
"The Bush administration wants Congress to make permanent all 15 provisions of the law that expire at the end of the year, some of which have aroused civil liberties concerns among liberals and conservatives. The law's national standards for what are sometimes known as 'sneak and peek' searches are permanent.
"Sens. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told the Senate Judiciary Committee that while they cannot show any specific abuses, the anti-terrorism law is written in a way that could allow abuses."
Post a Comment