D.C. Council Members Propose Dropping SSN Requirement For Driver's Licenses

Some D.C. Council members want to make it possible to get a driver's license without a social security number.

One of the bill's co-sponsors, Council Member Phil Mendelson, says there are some people out there that for whatever reason do not want a social security number and that shouldn't prohibit them from driving.

But the proposal is likely to spur some debate over illegal immigration, as it would likely make it easier for undocumented workers to receive a driver's license.

Mendelson says immigration is a federal issue, not a local one.

"If there are people who are in this country illegally and we don't give them driver's licenses, what if they drive anyway?" says Mendelson. "There are people who are driving without a license."

The bill still needs to go through the committee process. If it is approved by the council and the mayor, it would have to survive congressional review as well.

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