Consider this: 18 of the 19 hijackers on September 11th carried multiple driver’s licenses from states with lenient licensing laws. These days, driver’s licenses are effectively used as legal identification, enabling things like opening bank accounts and checking into hotels. Of course, they’re also used to verify the identity of passengers as they board planes.

How much easier did we make the terrorists’ mission that cloudless Tuesday morning by handing them driver’s licenses? We may never know, but one thing is certain: more stringent licensing laws could have denied them the legal documentation they used as they plotted their attack and boarded our planes. It is remarkable that 3 1/2 years later, nothing has been done about this critical national security issue.

The Coalition for a Secure Driver’s License is working to change that. Through a new ad campaign, the coalition is working to inform the public about the gaping hole in our nation’s defenses left by the insecure licensing laws of some states. The House of Representatives has already passed legislation to tighten licensing laws, and a similar bill is pending in the Senate.

This is a tremendously important issue. If you agree, you might want to let your Senator know.