03.26.20

Hoeven: Administration Delays Deal ID Deadline in Response to COVID-19

Senator Urged DHS and TSA Leaders to Prepare Contingency Plans, Ensure Travelers Don’t Face Disruptions

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Committee, today issued the following statement after the administration extended the REAL ID enforcement deadline to October 1, 2021. The senator has been working to ensure that North Dakotans would not face disruptions due to the requirement, which was set to go into place this year. At two committee hearings last month, Hoeven pressed Chad Wolf, Acting Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, and David Pekoske, Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, to have contingency plans in place for those who were not yet able to acquire a REAL ID, but needed to travel.

“Considering the challenges we face with COVID-19, we welcome this delay of the REAL ID requirements,” said Hoeven. “DMV offices around the country are closed in order to ensure responsible social distancing, meaning people will be unable to go through the rigorous process required to obtain a REAL ID. I appreciate the administration, including Acting Secretary Wolf and Administrator Pekoske, for working with us. This move provides much-needed flexibility and will help prevent unnecessary disruptions to travel once this pandemic has passed and we get our economy moving again.”

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