Press releases

“I believe this is, at heart, an economic issue: Real America needs a REAL ID extension. I look forward to working with you to ensure the transition to REAL IDs does not disrupt the lives or livelihoods of hardworking citizens.”

WASHINGTON — Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) wrote today to President Donald Trump to request a one-year extension of the REAL ID deadline of October 1, 2020. Currently, the Department of Homeland Security reports that only 100 million Americans have received REAL IDs, and the deadline could cause significant disruptions for air travelers and America’s economy.

“To expect 125 million Americans to obtain the REAL ID before the October 1 enrollment deadline seems nearly impossible. Achieving that goal within seven short months becomes even more unlikely given nationwide reporting that the process for obtaining a REAL ID can be overly bureaucratic and take hours upon hours from a person’s work day. Speaking for my home state, I can report that the good people of Louisiana are too busy earning a living and raising their families to burn half a day waiting in long lines and jumping through hoops to get REAL IDs,” wrote Kennedy.

“I believe this is, at heart, an economic issue: Real America needs a REAL ID extension. I look forward to working with you to ensure the transition to REAL IDs does not disrupt the lives or livelihoods of hardworking citizens.”

In the 15 years since the REAL ID Act became law, fewer than half of Americans with driver’s licenses have received new REAL ID-compliant licenses. Additionally, two states were not even issuing REAL IDs to their residents as of last month.

Kennedy’s letter is available here.