Bob Barr: “this language simply directs that none of the funds appropriated by this act shall be used to implement certain rules…”

“this language simply directs that none of the funds appropriated by this act shall be used to implement certain rules proposed by the Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on June 17, 1998, in the Federal Register, pages 33219 to 33225. It does not go beyond the scope of that, and it does not go beyond the scope of what properly may be an appropriations bill, such as the one currently before this body. Mr. Chairman, the problem with these rules proposed by the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is that while purporting to implement Section 656 of the Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, they go far beyond the intent of that legislation as passed by this Congress. The intent of that particular section of the legislation was simply to provide that there be proposed and implemented a tamper-resistent alien identification card, and to take steps to ensure that identification cards do not allow for fraudulent uses and purposes and manufactured by illegal aliens. However, in the rule proposed by the administration, there is a very clear directive intent that would result in the development of a national identification card.”