Kingston Offers E-Verify Amendment to Agriculture Approps.

Jack Kingston Offers E-Verify Amendment to Agriculture Appropriations Write-up

Thursday, June 18, 2009, 10:54 AM

Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) is offering an E-Verify amendment to the House Agricultural Appropriations write-up. Rep. Kingston offered a similar amendment to the Homeland Security appropriations write-up that was defeated last week 23-to-35.

The amendment would prevent agricultural spending going to contractors not using E-Verify. The amendment states...

None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to enter into a contract with an entity that is eligible to participate, but has not elected to
participate, in the basic pilot program described in section 403(a) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1324a note; commonly known as the E-Verify program).

http://www.numbersusa.com/content/news/ ... write.html

Democrats on House Approps Committee Kill Another E-Verify Amendment

Last week, during a House Appropriations Committee mark-up for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Appropriations spending bill, Committee Democrats rejected an amendment to require federal contractors to use E-Verify if they received federal contracts funded by the bill. (Appropriations Summary).

The week before, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) had offered a similar amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations spending bill. His amendment was subsequently rejected by the Appropriations Committee. (FAIR's Legislative Update, June 15, 2009). This week, Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) offered the amendment to the Agriculture Spending bill. Calvert's amendment was rejected entirely on a party-line basis with 23 Republicans supporting and 34 Democrats rejecting the amendment.

The Agriculture spending bill spends almost $23 billion in taxpayer dollars. Over $4 billion dollars alone will be allocated to the Food and Drug Administration and Food Safety and Inspection Service, two important organizations in protecting America's food and drug supply. In addition, the bill provides billions more for programs like the Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and International Food Aid. The bill will also provide funding for rural development, conservation projects, and oversight and enforcement.

With so many American jobs and tax dollars at stake, many Americans are frustrated that Congress refuses to demand that federal contractors use E-Verify. (To learn more about E-Verify, see FAIR's Fact Sheet.). This vote marks the third time in two weeks that Democratic Leadership has rejected amendments requiring federal contractors to use E-Verify.