31 More Days for E-Verify

From FAIR's Government Relations Team

We just learned moments ago that the House-Senate conferees for the Legislative Branch appropriations bill have agreed to the language for the conference report. The new language also includes a "Continuing Resolution" to fund the government through October 31 (current funding for all federal discretionary programs was set to expire on September 30, 2009). The "CR" also extends E-Verify's authorization for an additional 31 days according to information on the House Appropriations Committee website.

Attaching the CR to the $4.65 billion Leg Branch Appropriations bill became necessary because Congress has once-again failed to complete work on the 12 annual appropriations bills prior to the September 30th deadline. The CR is important to prevent a shutdown of the Federal government.

The CR also includes a 31-day extension of E-Verify. The inclusion of a short-term extension of E-Verify is important. But by only authorizing the program for 31 days, as opposed to making E-Verify permanent as the Senate passed Homeland Security Appropriations bill would have done, Congress may have created unnecessary uncertainty for this critical enforcement program. When the long-term future of E-Verify is clear to employers, employers will continue to enroll in the program. But with just a 31-day extension, employers may be reluctant to enroll in E-Verify from now until such time as Congress enacts a longer extension of E-Verify.

FAIR will continue to work for a permanent extension of E-Verify. Stay tuned for more of the latest coming your way from Capitol Hill.