U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Home Builders, and the National Restaurant Association Endorse E-Verify Bill

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce issued a press release on Tuesday endorsing the Legal Workforce Act (H.R.2164) introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith, which would require all businesses in the country to begin using E-Verify within three years of enactment. The National Association of Home Builders and National Restaurant Association offered their endorsement of the bill during a hearing held by the House Immigration Subcommittee earlier today.

“The Chamber commends Chairman Smith for introducing a new E-Verify bill … mandating the use of E-Verify or establishing state or local employment verification schemes, mirrors the existing FAR rules for federal contractors using E-Verify on current workforce, and establishes a fully electronic employment verification obligation with a clear safe harbor for employers that act in good faith,” Senior Vice President for the Chamber Randy Johnson said in a press release.

Barry Rutenberg testified before the House Immigration Subcommittee on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders. In his written testimony, Rutenberg said:

… the influx of illegal immigrants into the United States is a concern for all business owners, and the members of the National Association of Home Builders do not support illegal immigration.

The voluntary Basic Pilot Program, now known as E-Verify, has increasingly become an attractive tool for employers to verify work authorization.

Over the years, as more and more states have taken it upon themselves to pass their own versions of mandatory E-verify laws, it has become increasingly obvious to our members that a single, federal requirement is the best way to address the issue to avoid confusion, and resultant compliance failures. … NAHB looks forward to working with you as you seek to advance mandatory E-Verify legislation …

Craig Miller, CEO of Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse which has used E-Verify since 2006, testified before the House Immigration Subcommittee on behalf of the National Restaurant Association. In his written testimony, Miller said:

After reviewing a draft of the “Legal Workforce Act,” we were pleased to see that our concerns are being taken seriously under consideration, while so many other attempts to move forward without careful consideration of the impact of such a mandate on employers could have devastating effects.

In the National Restaurant Association’s opinion … the Legal Workforce Act reaches the right balance—a broad federal E-Verify mandate that is both fast and workable for businesses of every size under practical real world working conditions.