Congress Must Lead by Example on Immigration Reform (Rep. Jack Kingston)

The American people have sent a clear signal to Congress that they want immigration reform in steps, not comprehensive reform.  My amendment is one of those steps.  It would require any company competing for a government contract to participate in the Employment Eligibility Verification System (formerly known as the Basic Pilot Program) in order to be eligible for government contracts.

There have been cases that include defense contractors who have been caught with illegal immigrants working at a shipyard in Mississippi, a military base in Georgia, and a contractor who employed illegal aliens to help build a portion of the U.S./Mexico border fence meant to keep illegal aliens out of this country.

How can the government hire people who hire illegals?  We should have a higher bar and set an example for the private sector.  The federal government is a trillion dollar customer so if you want to sell to us you must comply with the law.

The EEVS is a voluntary and free program jointly administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of Homeland Security.  It is a way for employers, through the Social Security and DHS databases, to verify the information their newly hired employees have provided on the I-9 form stating they are authorized to work in the U.S.

It’s only fair during this debate on immigration reform that Congress leads by example.  My amendment is a common sense way to do exactly that.