U.S. Senator John Walsh Introduces Repeal REAL ID Act – Prioritizes Fight Against Controversial Program

Senator John Walsh introduced a new bill to the Senate floor on Wednesday that looks to repeal REAL ID.Walsh's Repeal REAL ID Act would get rid of federal requirements that Montanans’ private driver’s license information be placed in a database and shared with every other state.

"Civil liberties are very important to Montanans and this bill adds onto the bill I introduced last week and eliminates the invasive overreach of government on Montanans," Walsh said.

Walsh's bill is similar to U.S. Representative Steve Daines's bill which was proposed to the House in February.

“The federal government’s mass collection of personal information in the name of national security raises serious privacy concerns,” Walsh said.  “I question the appropriateness of any federal law that mandates the dissemination of Montanans’ personal information in an age of computer network break-ins and leaks.  I know full well we must never let our guard down in the fight against terrorism and other threats, but our national security must be balanced with our privacy rights and our Constitution’s strong respect for civil liberties.”

The introduction of the Repeal REAL ID Act is the second bill Walsh introduced to the Senate.