Nathan Deal: “Mr. Chairman, there is a truism that I think applies in life as it does in legislation, that one excuse is just as good…”

“Mr. Chairman, there is a truism that I think applies in life as it does in legislation, that one excuse is just as good as another if we do not want to do anything. We have heard a lot of excuses today. I am afraid that this amendment, as well intentioned as it may be, is just another excuse. If we really do not want to do anything about the immigration problem and the employment of those who are not legally in our country, then this excuse is just as good as another. I cannot refute all of the excuses that have been offered as a support for this amendment, but let me take one, the idea that there is an error rate in the Social Security office and that somebody may be denied the opportunity to work because there has been some mix-up in their Social Security number. I want to suggest that if we put in place this bill without this amendment, we will do two things. First of all, let an American citizen who is legally in this country and legally entitled to be employed be denied an opportunity because somebody has made an error in his Social Security rate, two things are going to happen. First of all, they are going to correct his Social Security records, which ought to have been done in the first place, and second, he is going to get the job.”