E-Verify bill goes to committee markup
thehill.com
By Gautham Nagesh
09/13/11 04:30 PM ET

The House Judiciary Committee will mark up a bill from Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) on Thursday morning that would require all U.S. employers to use E-Verify, the Department of Homeland Security system that checks whether new hires are eligible to work in the United States.

Smith called on President Obama to make E-Verify part of his jobs plan on Monday, arguing the law could open up millions of jobs for legal residents as the unemployment remains above 9 percent. The program checks candidates' Social Security numbers against a federal database to verify they are allowed to work in the U.S.

“A federal E-Verify requirement is needed now more than ever," Smith said in a statement sent to The Hill.

"Nearly 14 million Americans can’t find work but at the same time seven million illegal immigrants work in the U.S. Congress should pass the Legal Workforce Act and the President should sign it into law — unemployed Americans can’t wait any longer.â€