Forced Compliance With E-Verify Has No Place in Senate Stimulus
Today, the Alliance for Worker Freedom called on Sen. McConnell to oppose all amendments that forced American businesses to comply with the flawed E-Verify system. Not only is E-Verify non-stimulative to our economy, this type of legislation should brought to the floor in regular order and not as a fly-by amendment to multi-billion dollar spending package. Further, according to the U.S. Chameber of Commerce, compliance with E-Verify could lead to net societal costs of $10 billion per year.
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Minority Leader, United States Senate
361-A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator McConnell:
On behalf of the Alliance for Worker Freedom (AWF), representing millions of workers and employers nation-wide, I urge you oppose any amendments made to the so-called “Stimulus” package that force the use of E-Verify onto employers.
At a time of national economic uncertainty, this is neither the correct moment nor vehicle for Senators to push an anti-growth and anti-business amendment that will hamstring businesses into compliance. If we are serious about stimulating the growth of our economy, we must give employers the flexibility to hire new workers to increase productivity – not tie their hands with government red tape.
The E-Verify program is significantly flawed, has no place in this package, and further hurts our domestic business owners.
E-Verify creates a high costs for businesses in a period of declining economic vitality. A U.S. Chamber of Commerce analysis concluded that a federal rule similar to that found in the stimulus currently, which requires federal contractors to use E-Verify, would lead to net societal costs of $10 billion a year.
Further, employers throughout our country are voicing their opposition to forced implementation of E-Verify. Small businesses take seriously their obligation to hire legal workers but, as many have pointed out, these businesses often do not have human resources departments. Other business owners are calling E-Verify “extremely costly” and “disruptive” to the functioning of their companies.
Business owners are already coming forward with E-Verify “horror stories.” Ken Nagel, a Phoenix, Arizona restaurant owner wanted to hire his own native-born daughter and found, after putting her information in the system, E-Verify was unable to confirm her work eligibility.
Senator McConnell, you have always been a great leader in protecting worker freedom and standing-up for the rank-and-file workers against union corruption and excessive government interference in an otherwise free market. That is why I am urging you to oppose forcing compliance with a known flawed program onto our nation’s business owners.
Sincerely,
Brian M. Johnson, MPA
Executive Director
cc: All Members of the U.S. Senate
