Shuler immigration bill on slow roll
DOUG ABRAHMS • DAbrahms@gannett.com • Gannett News Service • published June 10, 2008 4:52 pm

WASHINGTON – Rep. Heath Shuler’s immigration bill got another hearing Tuesday, but time is running out on his plan to require employers to use a government database to screen out unauthorized workers.

Lawmakers acknowledged they needed to do something about the millions of illegal immigrants working in the U.S. But many at a House immigration subcommittee hearing cited numerous problems with mandating that employers use E-Verify, the Department of Homeland Security’s screening database, which currently is voluntary.

“Essentially, we can become a super giant government database on all Americans,â€