Speech #1100081757

Mr. Chairman. I rise today to offer an amendment to help prevent aliens who lack authorization to work legally from taking Federal jobs. In the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. Congress responded to the problem of document verification when hiring folks by establishing three pilot programs for employment eligibility verification. Private employers in selected States could volunteer to participate in these programs. Under a program called the Basic Pilot Program. Social Security numbers and Allen Identification Numbers of new hires are checked against Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security records. This weeds out fraudulent numbers and assures that new hires are legally eligible to work.