mr. chairman , i yield myself such time as i may consume . 
mr. chairman , i rise to offer a simple amendment to the very thorough legislation before us today . 
the gentleman from wisconsin 's ( chairman sensenbrenner ) dedication to fixing gaps in our security is commendable , and i am proud to join him in strengthening federal identity requirements , protecting those who need political asylum , and improving our border security . 
the 9/11 commission identified gates for boarding airplanes is the last opportunity for our screeners to use sources of identification to ensure that people are who they say they are , and frankly , obviously , to check whether they are terrorists . 
to improve this process , congress tasked the department of homeland security with the goal of developing and building upon the aviation watch lists that our screeners commonly rely upon today . 
my amendment is intended to enhance the information contained in homeland security 's aviation security screening databases and to ensure that our security is not compromised through the use of falsified driver 's licenses . 
specifically , the amendment would require homeland security to enter into the appropriate database any person convicted of using a false driver 's license in attempting to board an airplane . 
currently , aviation screeners at the transportation security administration immediately detain individuals suspected of presenting false driver 's licenses and then turn them over to the custody of either the department of justice or local authorities . 
the criminal justice system is then responsible for determining whether the suspect is guilty or innocent . 
under the present system , if convicted , this person is sentenced to federally mandated punishment , but the department of homeland security is not required to put their name on a watch list . 
my amendment would go a step further in protecting our nation by also requiring the department to enter a violator into one of its national aviation screening databases . 
improving the quantity and quality of information contained in these passenger-screening databases is essential to enhancing our ability to identify potential threats and prevent terrorists from gaining access to our airliners . 
when a person is convicted of trying to deceive security to get on an airplane , there is serious cause for alarm . 
my amendment would ensure that those convicted of using a false driver 's license in attempting to board an airplane would be red-flagged for airport screeners . 
the amendment does not impact persons who use false driver 's licenses for other purposes . 
it allows the criminal justice system to run its course , and it is focused solely on the last line of defense before terrorists board an airplane . 
it is a simple , cost-effective way to enhance the department of homeland security 's ability to track potential high-risk passengers . 
again , i appreciate the opportunity to offer a small but important step in improving our security databases . 
my amendment would ensure that those convicted of using a false driver 's license in attempting to board an airplane are red-flagged for airport screeners . 
the people screening passengers at the gates do their best to make sure terrorists are not getting on these planes . 
congress should do everything in our power to make their job easier . 
mr. chairman , i reserve the balance of my time . 
