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“STATEMENT ON BASIC PILOT EXTENSION ACT OF 2001” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2276-E2277 on Dec. 13, 2001.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STATEMENT ON BASIC PILOT EXTENSION ACT OF 2001
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speech of
HON. DOUG BEREUTER
of nebraska
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, December 11, 2001
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this Member rises in strong support of H.R. 3030, the Basic Pilot Extension Act of 2001. This Member would like to thank the distinguished gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham) for introducing the measure and the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin
(Mr. Sensenbrenner), the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, for his efforts in bringing this measure to the Floor. Additionally, this Member would note that he agreed to co-sponsor H.R. 3030 but was unable to do so under House Rules as the bill had been reported out of the Committee very expeditiously.
Under H.R. 3030, the Basic Pilot Program, which is an employment verification program, would be extended through 2003, as the original authorization expired on November 30, 2001.
Mr. Speaker, the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 correctly prohibited employers from knowingly hiring illegal aliens or people with non-immigrant visas. Unfortunately, at that time, Congress did not give employers the corresponding tools with which to comply with this Act. For example, due to concerns regarding discrimination, employers are limited in the questions they may ask of potential employees to verify if those individuals are authorized to work in the U.S. If the employment verification documents that potential employees produce appear to be legitimate, then employers must accept the documents as legitimate without further inquiry of the potential employee.
During Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) enforcement raids, certain employers were found to have hired large numbers of illegal aliens, either knowingly or unintentionally, and subsequently they were subject to penalties. As technology has progressed to allow for the cheap and quick production of legitimate-looking fraudulent documents, the inability of employers to distinguish between valid documents and fraudulent documents has significantly increased. It became clear that businesses dedicated to complying with the IRCA needed new tools to assist with the endeavor.
When the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act
(IIRIRA) of 1996 was enacted, it authorized the creation of three employment verification tools, including the Basic Pilot Program. Initially, employers in California, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Florida, New York, and Iowa could voluntarily use the Basic Pilot Program to compare the information received from potential employees with Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) databases to determine if potential employees could be employed legally in the U.S.
Mr. Speaker, throughout the 1990's, many legal immigrants and illegal aliens moved to Nebraska seeking jobs in the meatpacking industry. Subsequently, this Member began to receive contacts from businesses in his district concerned about their capacity to comply with the IRCA. Therefore, on November 30, 1999, this Member joined his House and Senate colleagues in the Nebraska Congressional Delegation in a letter to then-INS Commissioner Doris Meissner requesting the extension of the Basic Pilot Program to Nebraska. This Member continues to firmly believe that providing Nebraska businesses with the tools to hire a legal workforce is an important component in maintaining a stable economy in the State and in meeting needs to effectively enforce immigration laws in this country's interior. On March 19, 1999, the U.S. Department of Justice granted Nebraska businesses access to the Basic Pilot Program. Currently, about eight Nebraska businesses actively utilize the program.
Mr. Speaker, for Congress to allow the Basic Pilot Program to lapse following the horrific and unspeakable terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, would demonstrate true negligence. More than ever, the U.S. must fully enforce its immigration laws to protect its citizens from future attacks. In its capacity to identify document fraud and illegal aliens, the Basic Pilot Program can indeed play a role in the fight against terrorism.
In conclusion, this Member encourages his colleagues to vote for H.R. 3030.
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