Dianne Feinstein: “Mr. President, before I was interrupted, the point I was trying to make is that no matter how well intended an employer…”

“Mr. President, before I was interrupted, the point I was trying to make is that no matter how well intended an employer is, it is extraordinarily difficult to tell the difference between real documents and counterfeit documents, and that is what enables illegal immigrants to obtain welfare. They are ineligible for cash welfare programs under Federal law now. However, if they have false documents, they can obtain the very things that they are prohibited from obtaining--whether it is Social Security, whether it is SSI, or whether it is AFDC. An entire industry of counterfeit documents has grown up in California. The most frequently counterfeited document is a birth certificate. You can pay anything from $25 for a Social Security card to $1,000 or more for a passport, as well as personal identification documents. These documents are so authentic-looking that employers cannot tell the difference. In fact, it is estimated that tens of thousands of illegal immigrants today receive welfare benefits in California by using counterfeit documents. This bill makes a major effort to reduce this problem.”