“‘Biometric” Data Are in Use Today’

The following is excerpted from a commentary by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in the May 22 issue of Roll Call, a daily journal in Washington.

I believe that a new, phone- or machine-readable card that all job and benefits applicants would be required to present to verify their work or eligibility for assistance deserves careful consideration.

As [the Senate subcommittee on immigration] heard (from representatives of the State Department, INS, FBI, Social Security Administration, Secret Service, state and motor vehicle authorities), counterfeit-resistant cards that incorporate “biometric” data are available and in use today.

Whether the card carries a magnetic strip on which the bearer’s unique voice, retina pattern or fingerprint is digitally encoded, or whether it incorporates a digitized photo and signature integrated into the plastic card itself, it is clear to me that state-of-the-art work and benefits eligibility IDs can and must replace the Dinosaur Age documents now being used.

Is it really necessary to take three to four years to study the issue? Shouldn’t we press forward with a single integrated system now, require everyone (not just immigrants) to obtain the new document within a reasonable phase-in period, and subject that document to annual renewals to minimize the effect of any residual fraud or change in eligibility status?