WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- New York Gov . Eliot Spitzer said Wednesday he is giving up his proposal to grant driver 's licenses to undocumented workers , a plan he said would `` improve the safety and security of the people of my state . '' New York Gov . Eliot Spitzer says Wednesday in Washington that opposition to his plan doomed it . Spitzer said he was giving up because he had concluded that `` New York state can not successfully address this problem on its own . '' He said he wanted to act because of the failure of the federal government to deal with immigration policy and the impact that failure was having on New York . `` I would suggest to you what everyone already knows , `` Spitzer said . `` The federal government has lost control of its borders . It has allowed millions of undocumented workers to enter our country and now has no solution to deal with them . '' The effect was about 1 million undocumented workers in New York state , `` many of whom are driving without licenses , '' said Spitzer , surrounded at a news conference by members of his state 's congressional delegation . Watch Spitzer explain why he 's withdrawing the proposal » . Spitzer said licensing workers who did not have Social Security numbers , which New York had done in the past , would have aided law enforcement and would have made the state 's streets safer and more secure . However , Spitzer acknowledged that `` you do n't need a stethoscope to hear the heartbeat of the public , '' saying he had concluded that opposition to his plan would have doomed it . `` You have polarization on this issue that has defied resolution , '' he said . Watch what a hornet 's nest the proposal stirred up . Spitzer put forward his proposal in September , saying it would bring New York 's estimated 1 million illegal immigrants `` out of the shadows . '' In October , the governor said there would be three tiers of licenses , ranging from a license restricting travel , a document called Real ID for legal residents and a stricter one that would allow people to travel into Canada . U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel , D-New York , on Wednesday thanked Spitzer for making the effort to bring about change , noting that undocumented workers `` are part of the economy , they are part of what America 's supposed to be . '' `` There is no question that we lack the leadership on the national level to change the tone , '' Rangel said . `` And that is the reason why leaders all over the country -- mayors and governors -- are trying so desperately hard to deal locally with a problem that is basically a national problem . '' One influential member of New York 's congressional delegation missing from the briefing was Sen. Hillary Clinton , considered the front-runner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination . A spokesman from her office said she could n't attend the news conference because of a scheduling conflict . As the plan became a topic of national discussion , critics accused her of failing to take a definitive stance on the issue . In a debate last week , Clinton said Spitzer 's plan `` makes a lot of sense '' but stopped short of endorsing it . On Wednesday , Clinton issued a written statement supporting Spitzer 's decision to withdraw the proposal . `` His difficult job is made that much harder by the failure of the Congress and the White House to pass comprehensive immigration reform , '' Clinton said . `` As president , I will not support driver 's licenses for undocumented people and will press for comprehensive immigration reform that deals with all of the issues around illegal immigration , including border security and fixing our broken system . '' Clinton 's rivals quickly pounced on her statement . A spokeswoman for Sen. Chris Dodd , D-Connecticut , called her action `` flip-flopping cubed , '' and Bill Burton , a spokesman for Sen. Barack Obama , D-Illinois , also sharply criticized Clinton for switching her views on the issue . `` When it takes two weeks and six different positions to answer one question on immigration , it 's easier to understand why the Clinton campaign would rather plant their questions than answer them , '' Burton said . Seventy-six percent of Americans oppose giving driver 's licenses to illegal immigrants , according to a poll conducted in October for CNN by the Opinion Research Corp. Members of the New York State Sheriffs ' Association voted in October to oppose Spitzer 's proposal . `` I believe this is just a fundamental issue of right and wrong , '' said Rep. Tom Latham , an Iowa Republican against Spitzer 's plan . `` And to give people official recognition when they come in and break the law in their first act in this country is simply wrong . '' E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Alexis Ginsberg contributed to this report .
NEW : Rivals criticize Clinton for changing stance . Sen. Hillary Clinton says she will not support licenses for illegal immigrants . N.Y. governor describes `` polarized '' public opinion on immigration . Gov . Eliot Spitzer says federal government `` has lost control of its borders ''