Mr. Chairman. I want to thank my colleague from New York for her amendment to ensure that Federal contractors are complying with the immigration laws of our Nation. I would like to ensure that the interpretation of the debarment provisions referenced in the gentlewomans amendment are consistent with the debarment process as provided in the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Mr. Chairman. small businesses face many obstacles in securing a workforce. and one of them is ensuring that their employees have the proper legal status. All of our employers are expected to comply with our immigration laws. and they should not be forced to compete in the Federal marketplace with those who are skirting these laws. Small businesses should be rewarded for ensuring that their employees are here legally. My colleagues amendment ensures that no contractor who has a pattern of knowingly employing unauthorized workers will receive contracts under the Small Business Contracting Program Improvements Act. Furthermore. contractors found to be in violation of the employment provisions required under immigration law will face the possibility of debarment. Participation in SBAs procurement programs is a privilege and not a right. As such. we expect participants to uphold the law. Those businesses that choose not to comply should not receive the benefits of SBA contract assistance. I appreciate the gentlewomans attention to this issue and commitment to ensuring that contractors who choose to violate immigration law will not benefit from it. While there may be disagreement on reforming our immigration system. we all agree that employers must comply with those laws that are on the books. This is simply a matter of fairness. We are prepared to accept the amendment. and I will yield to Mr.
Keywords matched
immigration