Congressional Record—Senate S10560
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S10560 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 16, 2002 The Administration has been work- problem became painfully clear fol- facilitating the issuance of fraudulent ing to help create an international re- lowing the terrorist attacks of Sep- licenses, and call for the timely post- gime aimed at stopping the trade in tember 11, 2001, when we learned that a ing of convictions incurred in any conflict diamonds. Initiated by a group number of the terrorists had obtained State on the driver’s license. of African nations, the Kimberly proc- State-issued driver’s licenses or identi- Driver’s licenses are used by minors ess has the support of a diverse group fication cards using fraudulent docu- to purchase alcohol and cigarettes, by of non-governmental organizations and ments. criminals involved in identity theft, the diamond industry. Almost half the States have taken and for many other illegal purposes. In March 2002, the last full session of action since the terrorist attacks to Improving the security of the license is the Kimberly process was completed tighten licensing procedures and I am a matter of common sense. and has now reached a point where the encouraged that the National Gov- I am confident that this legislation individual countries involved need to ernors Association has formed a home- will provoke meaningful and lively de- pass implementing legislation. In the land security task force that, among bate, as well as more ideas about how United States, some modest legislation other things, will be working to deter- to approach driver’s license security. It may be enacted before the end of this mine the best way for States to may not be possible, given the press of year. strengthen their driver’s license stand- other business, for the bill to be passed While I am glad that Congress may ards and authority. However, Senator this year. Nevertheless, this proposal pass something on conflict diamonds DURBIN and I believe there is a legiti- will provide a foundation for discussion this year, there must be a serious ef- mate role for the Federal Government and deliberations next year as we work fort next year to get stronger legisla- to play in leading and coordinating to reauthorize the Transportation Eq- tion signed into law. State efforts to improve driver’s li- uity Act for the 21st Century, TEA–21. Senator DURBIN has introduced im- cense security. In addition, because of f portant implementing legislation, and the estimated costs and coordination REMEMBERING CHARLES he is working with the administration, required to improve driver’s license se- GUGGENHEIM a bipartisan group of Senators, includ- curity, the States cannot resolve the ing Senators DEWINE and BINGAMAN, issue on their own. Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President. Let and a range of non-governmental orga- The proposal we introduced would re- me first ask unanimous consent to nizations such as Oxfam and Catholic quire the Department of Transpor- have printed in the RECORD ‘‘The Relief Services to come up with effec- tation, DOT, to work in consultation Filmmaker Who Told America’s tive legislation that we can all support. with the States to establish minimum Story’’ by Phil McCombs that appeared I am encouraged that the administra- standards for proof of identity by driv- in the Washington Post last week. tion is consulting with Congress and er’s license applicants. Currently, per- There being no objection, the mate- has named Ambassador Bindenagle, a sonnel in departments of motor vehi- rial was ordered to be printed in the career diplomat with experience in cles are called upon to perform the dif- RECORD, as follows: complex negotiations, to lead this ef- ficult task of verifying numerous dif- [Washington Post, Oct. 10, 2002] fort. ferent types of birth certificates, li- THE FILMMAKER WHO TOLD AMERICA’S STORY But, there must be more than an ex- censes from other States, proof of resi- (By Phil McCombs) change of views on this issue. The ad- dency, and other documents. Only 18 He raced against death, and won. ministration must also seriously con- States verify an applicant’s social se- Oh, how Charles Guggenheim would have sider Congressional proposals to move curity number with the Social Security not liked putting it so directly! beyond the Kimberly process. Administration and there is no system The great film documentarian, who died at For example, a major flaw in the today to verify the validity of a driv- Georgetown University Hospital yesterday of Kimberly process is that it does not er’s license being surrendered to obtain pancreatic cancer at 78, left a life’s work of subtle, passionate cinematic hymns to what cover polished diamonds. This is im- a license in another State. This legislation would also require he called, in a last message to friends, ‘‘the portant for two reasons. Polished dia- essential American journey.’’ monds contribute significantly to the DOT, in consultation with the States, His final film, finished just weeks ago, problems associated with the illicit to establish minimum standards for limns a shocking episode of that journey— trade in diamonds, and the United the license itself to make it more tam- the ‘‘selection’’ by Nazis of 350 U.S. troops States is far and away the world’s larg- per-proof and less susceptible to coun- captured in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 est market for these types of diamonds. terfeiting. DOT would also be directed for deportation to a concentration camp be- Clearly, this is an area where the to complete a study of the feasibility, cause they were Jews or ‘‘looked Jewish.’’ costs, benefits and impact on personal Guggenheim, the son of a well-to-do Ger- United States needs to show leader- man Jewish furniture merchant in Cin- ship. privacy of using a biometric identifier cinnati, easily might have been one of them. As chairman of the Foreign Oper- on driver’s licenses. The intent is not His unit was decimated in the battle, but ations Subcommittee, I will do what I to create a national driver’s license or he’d been left behind in the States with a can to ensure that resources are avail- identification card, but to improve the life-threatening infection. able for developing countries that want security of State-issued licenses For more than half a century, as hints and to enhance their capacity to imple- through the use of digital photographs, incomplete versions of the story surfaced, it gnawed at him. A few years ago, he began ment Kimberly. holograms and other devices. In addition, the bill would use the ex- searching for survivors—and found them. I look forward to working with the Early this year, just as Guggenheim was administration to make substantial isting database for commercial motor working on the ‘‘death march’’ sequence, his progress on this issue next year. It will vehicle drivers as the platform for cre- cancer was diagnosed. not be easy, but it can be done. ating a driver record information sys- For the next six months, he’d work all week on the film, have chemotherapy on Fri- f tem on all licensed drivers. The new system, like the current one, would be day, sleep through the weekend and be back DRIVER’S LICENSE FRAUD a pointer system to State records, on the job Monday. PREVENTION ACT rather than a national database of in- A few weeks ago, as he and his daughter, Grace—producer of this and many of his Mr. MCCAIN. Mr. President, I am formation on drivers. It is this new sys- films—were ‘‘mixing’’ the final version, he pleased to have joined Senator DURBIN tem that would help States verify the began suffering painful attacks. The cancer in introducing the Driver’s License validity of licenses previously held, de- had invaded his stomach. Fraud Prevention Act. termine whether an individual holds ‘‘He’d have to lie on the couch while we Today’s patchwork of State laws, more than one license, and provide in- worked,’’ Grace Guggenheim recalled. regulations, and procedures for the formation on the individual’s driving By then, her father was thin and drawn— issuance of driver’s licenses makes it record. Further, the bill would prohibit not unlike his former comrades after they were liberated by U.S. forces following all too easy for problem drivers and the disclosure or display of an individ- months of slave labor in a satellite camp of criminals to obtain multiple licenses ual’s social security number of a driv- Buchenwald. to hide traffic convictions and other er’s license, increase criminal penalties ‘‘Does it occur to you,’’ Guggenheim’s old criminal activity. The extent of the for fraudulently issuing, obtaining or friend, historian David McCullough, asked VerDate Mar 15 2010 20:38 Jan 09, 2014 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00078 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\2002SENATE\S16OC2.REC S16OC2 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY October 16, 2002 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10561 him in an interview last month, ‘‘that maybe I remember seeing Guggenheim at the July Grace Guggenheim read a message to the you were spared to make this film?’’ 4 festivities at the National Archives on the group dictated by her dad from the hospital. ‘‘Well,’’ Guggenheim answered, ‘‘I felt a Mall last year. He could have sat with the ‘‘Many people know about the Constitution deep obligation more after I met the [sur- dignitaries on a dais above the crowd but and the Declaration of Independence,’’ he’d vivors] than I did before. I said, ‘I owe chose to stand at a spot down below where he said, ‘‘but few know the treasures held in the them something.’ ’’ Thoughts of his old com- could watch the faces of the people.