Speech #1100056889

If we leave these provisions in place. the result of this legislation will be to bully the States into accepting something they do not want. If we do not pass the BaucusTester amendment. we will expand the REAL ID Act and we will impose significant new costs on employers. open up prospective employees most sensitive personal information to theft. and create new administrative headaches for workers. employers. and State governments alike. Do not misunderstand. it is right for employers to have to do their part to make sure they do not hire illegal immigrants. and if they do hire illegal Immigrants. we need to penalize them. But what we do not want to do is impose a massive new tax on employers. and that is exactly what this bill would do in its current form. This bill requires employers to use REAL IDcompliant documents to verify prospective employees immigration status. and that means employers will have to link into the national database that REAL ID will create. If. as expected. the Department of Homeland Security mandates that employers confirm the biometrics of the employee. employers will need to purchase expensive biometric cardreader machines and train employees and staff on how to use them. This will amount to a massive new tax on businesses. and these costs will be on top of other mandates employers will pay to screen their workers and get linked into the national ID database created by the proposed employment eligibility verification system.