Proposed legislation which would merge Oregon driver's licenses and ID cards into a national ID system has hit opposition with Oregon’s Constitution Party not long after several other states voiced concern over local versions of the same bill.

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"The Constitution Party of Oregon strongly opposes SB424, which would mandate that all Oregonians who want to legally drive a car must submit to the provisions of the federal 'Real ID Act of 2005,' effectively merging Oregon driver's licenses and ID cards into a national ID system," reads an excerpt from an Oregon Constitution Party news release.

"This system," the statement continues, "uses biometric data, which would include fingerprints, facial recognition, iris scan, or numerous other measurements that are unique to a person's body."

Bowing to protests from governors and Congress, the Bush administration is giving states another year and a half to comply with new driver's license rules aimed at foiling terrorists.

The agreement last week cleared one obstacle to passage of a major homeland security bill and produced a victory for moderate Republican senators.

Still, President Bush's veto threat over another matter in the bill slowed its progress to a pace notable even for the Senate.

Moderate Republicans said the delay on driver's license regulations would ease the financial burden on states struggling to comply.

Under the deal, the Homeland Security Department agreed to grant states an extra 18 months to comply with uniform driver's license standards designed to thwart terrorists and identity thieves. States also would be allowed to spend up to 20 percent of their grant money from the agency on complying with the new standards.

"The department has finally recognized that it simply was unfair to impose this burden on the states," said Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Committee who led the Senate effort to ease up on the states.

"Senator Collins is very persuasive," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

So, apparently, were the nation's governors, who had said that complying with the new regulations by the original deadline of May 2008 would cost $11 billion over the next five years

Under the deal, states who request an extension would be granted one through Dec. 31, 2009. For the first time they also would be able to use grant money from the department.

The new rules are inspired directly by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Two of the 19 hijackers that day, Hani Hanjour and Khalid al-Midjar, boarded the planes with phony driver's licenses obtained by paying $100 to an illegal alien in a convenience store parking lot. The licenses helped them purchase the airplane tickets and rent cars, Chertoff said.

Under the new regulations, applicants for state driver's licenses will have to prove their identity and establish that their status in the country is legal -- as well as their date of birth, Social Security number and address. Acceptable documents include passports, birth certificates, permanent residence cards and Social Security cards.

The state departments of motor vehicles then will snap a photo of the applicant, scan or copy the documents, verify the accuracy of the documents and safeguard the information to prevent hackers and others from stealing the information. The state DMVs also would be required to prevent the duplication of licenses, Chertoff said.

Only licenses that comply with the new federal standards may be used to board commercial aircraft, Chertoff said.

He said the new regulations are not federal mandates.

"If a driver's license is to be acceptable for federal purposes, it has to meet these standards," Chertoff said. "We can't afford to shilly-shally."

Despite the sense of urgency, the Senate slowed to turtle speed on the overall bill to put into effect the security-tightening recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Because the House has passed a similar measure, Senate floor action was aimed at amending it into any form that would pass the chamber. Differences then would be worked out by a committee of negotiators.

But senators weren't offering up many amendments, producing an unusual sight on the Senate floor: Majority Leader Harry Reid and his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell, together pleading through the C-SPAN cameras for their colleagues to come on down and propose changes.

"The victims, the widows and orphans want us to wrap this baby up," Reid told reporters.

They had few takers, though the Senate did defeat an amendment by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that would have required all containers on U.S.-bound ships to be screened in foreign ports before being permitted entry to the United States. The House-passed version contains the requirement. Supporters said 100 percent screening is crucial to national security, while opponents said it's unrealistic to impose such rules on other countries' ports.

Even if there had been a stampede of senators bearing amendments, the bill's progress faces a major obstacle. Bush has threatened to veto it over a provision that would grant federal airport screeners the same collective bargaining and whistle-blower rights enjoyed by most other federal employees. Republicans have enough support to sustain his veto, and Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., was offering an amendment to strip out the provision.

Collins again emerged as the source of a possible compromise. She and several others close to the talks said she's considering proposing that the Senate adds whistle-blower protection for airport screeners to DeMint's measure. Several Republican officials said they would find such a proposal acceptable, as long as the screeners are not granted collective bargaining rights.