January 20, 2000

It was just this past October that legislation which established a green light for creating a National ID system was repealed through the courageous efforts of Senator Richard Shelby, numerous Congressmen and the protests of hundreds of thousands of Americans like you and me. Now, four months later, it has been resurrected.

Congressman Bill Barrett (R-NE) has introduced HR 3429, the Legal Employment Authentication Program (LEAP) Act of 1999, a bill that will completely reinstate the federal ID system. Barrett’s pandering to federal bureaucrats and big business—both of whom want the federal government to gather information on you for their benefit—will overturn our hard-earned victory.

You and I must react swiftly and with force—before this new effort to shackle Americans with "Big Brother’s" chains has a chance to gain favor in Congress. If passed, Barrett’s bill will make it federal law that all Americans must carry a national identification card at all times.

You will be required to show your ID card in order to cash a check, get on a plane or open a bank account. Without your national ID card you will not be able to get medical care or get a job. That’s right—it gives the federal government the power to clear all hiring decisions where even a 1% error in the data banks could result in 600,000 wrongful work denials. Think of what such an error in your medical file would mean! All of your personal information like income, medical records and personal family business will all be put into one massive federal data bank in order to make the card valid.

This is an invasion of your privacy. It is an invasion of your Constitutional rights. It is an outrage.

We must exert pressure to bury this legislation NOW in order to avoid a long and costly battle. In addition to calling our own Congressmen we must call Congressman Henry Hyde, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. His committee will decide whether or not to approve HR 3429 and move it to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote. In short, whether or not we are shackled with a National ID card is in Chairman Hyde's hands.

1. Call Congressman Hyde, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee at (202) 225-3951 and tell him you oppose HR 3429 and any other effort which would ultimately give rise to a national ID system.

2. Call your Congressman (Capitol Hill Switchboard 202-225-3121) and make him understand that any attempt to support such an invasion of our liberties is unprincipled and dishonorable for one who was entrusted with the protection of such liberties. Urge him to oppose HR 3429.