"I mean, we recognize that [Sensenbrenner] wants this very, very badly," Kean continued. "But to hold up every single one of these other provisions to make the American people safer for this one provision or two provisions, to me doesn't make any sense."

Vice chairman Lee Hamilton acknowledged that Sensenbrenner's provision was part of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, but said closing the terrorist loophole wasn't the job of the federal government.

"There isn't any doubt that the hijackers use the state driver's licenses to get by a lot of checkpoints," he told "Meet the Press." "So standards are important here."

"But the fundamental question ... whether or not, for example, you issue a driver's license, that's a state matter and ought to be resolved by the state," Hamilton contended.

Appearing on ABC's "This Week," Rep. Sensenbrenner argued that preventing terrorists from getting drivers licenses was critical to preventing another 9/11-style attack.

"The 19 murderers on Sept. 11 got 63 separate legally issued driver's licenses from five states. They used those to open bank accounts and to get on the plane."

Sensenbrenner warned that unless the terrorist loophole was closed, U.S. law enforcement wouldn't be able to prevent another 9/11-style attack.

"The 9/11 Commission specifically recommended that aliens who are here on temporary visas, which were the 9/11 murderers, have their driver's licenses expire on the date of the expiration of their visas," he noted.

"What's wrong with having a uniform national standard to apply to driver's licenses so that people who want to commit terrorist attacks can't game the system?" the Wisconsin Republican asked. "What good is reorganizing intelligence if we don't have homeland security?"

Editor's note: