Senators don’t want (illegal) immigrants in stimulus jobs

[peejay 327]

Senators don’t want immigrants in stimulus jobs

January 29 2009

Two senators are urging their parties’ leadership to include guarantees that jobs created by the economic stimulus bill go to Americans.

Sens. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, and Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska, have written a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, arguing that the use of E-Verify, the government’s citizenship verification program, be mandatory for businesses benefiting from the stimulus package. The program is currently voluntary.

The full text of the letter is below:

The economic stimulus package is needed, in part, to spur the economic growth necessary to help create new jobs in America. With this in mind, we write to urge you to include provisions in the legislation that will help ensure that jobs created by the stimulus are for hardworking Americans.

Recently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate for December was 7.2 percent. That figure, the highest in 16 years, translates into roughly 11.1 million American workers without jobs. In this time of increased unemployment, our focus should be on creating jobs that will be filled by American citizens.

An important step toward guaranteeing that new and existing jobs are for U.S. citizens is to require businesses benefiting from the stimulus package to use the E-Verify program. Currently, E-Verify is a voluntary program that allows for the quick comparison of an employee’s personal information with over 444 million records in the SSA database and more than 60 million records in the DHS immigration database. Such an analysis is a useful and efficient tool to determine lawful citizenship. We are encouraged by the fact that close to 2,000 new businesses register to use the E-Verify system each week. And, with the implementation of Executive Order 12989 on January 15, 2009, all federal contractors and subcontractors are required to use the E-Verify system.

The stimulus package is intended to help ease the pain of the current recession and restore growth to our economy. If passed, it will be paid for by the American taxpayers and we believe that Congress should do all it can to ensure that American taxpayers are the intended beneficiaries of its efforts.

Although studies indicate that the illegal population in our country is decreasing, between 12 and 20 million illegal immigrants likely remain in the United States today. It is critical that the stimulus legislation include provisions to require the use of E-Verify when hiring workers to fill jobs created by the proposal. The inclusion of such a provision will be a key factor as we evaluate the merits of the stimulus package and gauge our support.

http://www.mgwashington.com/index.php/herd...mulus-jobs/2478

[spookyturtle 9,466]

That's the way it should, hopefully it will be enforced.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It is critical that the stimulus legislation include provisions to require the use of E-Verify when hiring workers to fill jobs created by the proposal. The inclusion of such a provision will be a key factor as we evaluate the merits of the stimulus package and gauge our support.

.....

That sounds reasonable.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

That's the way it should, hopefully it will be enforced.

agreed

[Ban Hammer 14,269]

let's see if this idea gets shot down by the illegal aiders.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

let's see if this idea gets shot down by the illegal aiders.

No doubt there will be those who will protest and claim it is unfair. I'll bet there are even some here who feel that way.

[Jasman0717 9]

Give it to me and I will distribute it

[peejay 327]

Actually, E-Verify is used to determine employment eligibility rather than US citizenship. The newsclip is kind of deceptive in that many people that have not gone through the immigration process are totally ignorant of the fact that a Green Card is not US citizenship, but rather legal residency.

I think the intent of the senators is that illegal aliens do not get these jobs. I do not believe the intent is to prohibit non-citizens that are legally here from these jobs. E-Verify is is used to determine legal employment eligibility.

Really...E-Verify has been proven to be 99%+ accurate and should be mandatorily implemented throughout the US, not just for federal contractors or stimulus jobs.

If this was the law of the land the illegal alien problem would be miniscule. The problem is...lots of influential people want cheap illegal labor to flourish in the USA. Cheap votes and cheap labor. The majority of Americans be damned.

Edited January 30, 2009 by peejay

[almaty 19]

i agree..i think it is a good idea...

[spookyturtle 9,466]

I believe that E-Verify should be mandatory. US employers should follow the law when hiring. Many knowingly hire illegals or those who are not authorized to work.

Edited January 30, 2009 by spookyturtle

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I believe that E-Verify should be mandatory. US employers should follow the law when hiring. Many knowingly hire illegals or those who are not authorized to work.

Absolutely agree on all counts. Make it mandatory; and if employers do not comply, can them.

[almaty 19]

fine them and bar them from any government contracts for life

[Chica Yeyé 41]

fine them and bar them from any government contracts for life

hell - bar them from operating. close them down, see if they learn.

[peejay 327]

fine them and bar them from any government contracts for life

hell - bar them from operating. close them down, see if they learn.

It would be foolish to punish a company by putting it out of business. It hurts the economy and a company that is gone cannot hire American workers to replace illegal workers. The penalty has to be severe enough to deter, not destroy.

Howerver, if a company cannot survive or profit without exploiting illegal workers then it will go out of business just like any other inefficient business. Just like a business that cannot quit polluting the air and water or engage in safety violations without going bankrupt. Tolerating shoddy or harmful business practices just to keep a business going is't the answer either. The bottom line is that businesses have no right to break laws to stay profitable or to stay in business.

Edited January 30, 2009 by peejay

[almaty 19]

i agree....send them to a texas prison or a chain gang in the south