Reauthorization of E-Verify Delayed by Special Interest Dema

29 Jul Reauthorization of E-Verify Delayed by Special Interest Demands

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Reauthorization of E-Verify Delayed by Special Interest Demands

There seems to be near consensus in Washington that the key to controlling illegal immigration is to make it as difficult as possible for illegal aliens to find work here. At least that was the idea when Congress passed employer sanctions in 1986 with the intention of penalizing employers who hire illegal aliens.

But there has always been a catch. Employers had no real way of knowing if workers were here legally, so it was hard to hold them accountable when they got caught hiring illegal aliens (when the government even bothered to enforce the law at all). In recent years the E-Verify system has allowed employers, on a voluntary basis, to electronically verify a prospective worker’s Social Security number (much like a merchant verifies a credit card) so they can avoid hiring illegal aliens in the first place.

Some 70,000 employers now use E-Verify and seem pretty happy with the system. So it would seem that Congress would be anxious not only to reauthorize the E-Verify program, which is set to expire in November, but to expand it and make its use mandatory for all employers.

Not so fast. Reauthorization of E-Verify is being delayed by a bunch of amendments in both houses. In the Senate, Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) is blocking reauthorization, demanding the inclusion of an amendment to “recaptureâ€

I am listening to Lou Dobbs on my computer and he told his staff to get Menendez on the phone, he wanted to talk to him. It is 5:48 PM EST and nothing yet. I believe this man has no guts to talk to Lou because he will hold his hand to the fire with this.

Everyday I get more and more angry with these politicians who are not listening to the American people.

I for one did not vote for Menendez here in New Jersey...He has to go.... :evil: