My Senator's Response to a letter I wrote about the Real ID Act.

Thank you for contacting me regarding implementation of the REAL ID Act. I appreciate hearing from you.

As you are aware, the REAL ID Act was signed into law (P.L. 109-13) by President Bush on May 11, 2005. I supported the passage of this legislation because it addressed important homeland security initiatives aimed at disrupting terrorist activity. T he September 11, 2001 hijackers were able to easily attain identification, thus allowing them to enter the United States , and I believe it is our responsibility to ensure that individuals who wish to enter our country are thoroughly evaluated, and that fraudulent forms of identification stay out of the hands of those who wish to do us harm.

However, when the REAL ID Act was enacted, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not foresee the constraints that early implementation could put on the states. That is why I cosponsored an amendment to S. 4, the " Improving America's Security Act," that would allow states more time to implement the provisions of this law.

In response to the introduction of this amendment, on March 1, 2007, DHS decided to delay implementation of the law by two years. Rather than mandating compliance by May 2008, states will now have until December 31, 2009 to comply with the R EAL ID requirements. In addition, Georgia will be able to use up to 20% of its Homeland Security Grants Program funds for R EAL ID compliance efforts. This decision will make certain that states, including Georgia , will be able to continue assisting the federal government in fighting the war on terror .

I understand the concerns of many Americans about perceived threats to our citizens' civil liberties. Amid the intense effort to restructure our homeland defense, the freedoms and rights contained within the Bill of Rights must be protected. While I am in favor of the substantive portion of the REAL ID Act, I will keep your views in mind should S. 717, the " Identification Security Enhancement Act ," come before the Senate for debate.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may be of assistance to you in the future. In the meantime, if you would like to receive timely e-mail alerts regarding the latest congressional actions and my weekly e-newsletter, please sign up via my web site at: www.chambliss.senate.gov .

Very truly yours,

Saxby Chambliss

Personally it seems a little cookie cutter to me. I knew neocon Chambliss supported the act but I felt I should write and express my concern and disapproval of the act anyway. I never voted for him, but I do have the satifaction of officially expressing my disgust.