Charles W. Stenholm: “I rise in support of the Gallegly amendment. I want to answer the question why. The question we simply have to ask over…”

“I rise in support of the Gallegly amendment. I want to answer the question why. The question we simply have to ask over and over is, do we have an illegal immigration problem or do we not? If Members answer as I do, we do, then this amendment makes sense. Mr. Chairman, our amendment would create a pilot program in five of the seven States with the highest populations of illegal aliens to test a mandatory worker verification system. The system is simple: An employer makes an inquiry through a toll-free 1-800 number, a toll-free facsimile number, or other electronic media to confirm whether an individual is authorized to be employed in the United States. This system will protect employers from civil and criminal liability for any action taken in good faith reliance on information provided through the worker verification system. For those who believe this amendment is antibusiness, I could not disagree more. While much has been made about this being a mandate on employers, it will actually protect business men and women from harsh employer sanctions.”