E-Verify in House Stimulus Bill

The economic stimulus bill that passed the House last week contained an amendment to require businesses that receive any funds from it to use the Social Security Administration's E-Verify system to confirm the identity of workers. If there is a "no match", the employer must dismiss the worker. The Bush administration had required by executive order that all federal contractors be required to use E-Verify. But because of the complaints from labor and immigrant advocacy groups that the system is founded on a faulty database, the Obama administration has postponed the date to begin till the issues are studied. As for the stimulus package, two Republican senators will introduce amendments into the Senate version during next week's debate. Critics like the Chamber of Commerce object that, not only is the system open to error, but also is so burdensome that it will slow down getting the money quickly into the economy. (See LA Times article.)


NEW NY SENATOR NEEDS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Most New York Democrats were stunned by Gov. David Paterson's selection of Kristin Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton as New York's junior senator. As a congresswoman she was no friend of gun control or immigration reform. She hardly paid attention to the needs of metropolitan New York City. So Democratic challengers were beginning to line up for next year's primary. The new senator, aware of being outof step with her Democratic colleagues, began to tour the state to get to know its diversity and problems. In two years she have to face an electorate that's not just disillunioned and unrepentent Republicans. She seemed to have been unaware that over 30% of NYC is foreign-born or that people there are nervous about guns. Maybe up-state guns are used to shoot deer, in the Bronx they're used to shoot people. The New York Times editorially suggests that Sen. Gillibrand begin reconiling to all New Yorkers by changing her attitudes on immigration. The paper characterizes he record in the House as "exclusionist Republican".