One man, one vote, one mess: Senator puts a 'hold' on logic

It was Ronald Reagan who famously said, "Trust but verify."

Those words could very easily be used to describe a Homeland Security program which allows employers to check new hires for their eligibility to work in the United States.

It's important to note that the E-Verify system isn't used to screen applicants, but used to verify the legal status of people after they are hired. Applicants get the benefit of an employer's "trust" that they are telling the truth during the application process, but employers get the comfort of knowing they can "verify" that they are indeed hiring legal workers.

And everyone should be comforted to know the program cannot be used to discriminate against anyone. Once signed up for the program, employers must check all new hires, not use it on a few applicants based on outward appearances such as race or language.

The program began in 1996 and has proven to be an effective tool for employers to make sure they are not running afoul of immigration and employment laws. There are more than 75,000 employers signed up, with as many as 1,000 new employers signing up each week, according to Department of Homeland Security administrator Michael Chertoff.

So what's the big deal?

The clock is ticking on E-Verify, and the program will expire in November unless it is reauthorized by Congress. The House of Representatives actually voted on July 31 to extend the program for five years by a vote of 407-2.

Unfortunately, one lone senator, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, using the arcane rules of the Senate, is holding the bill hostage. Menendez has put a "hold" on the bill because he wants the bill tied to an effort by him and his Democratic colleague, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, to create 550,000 new legal immigrants. Forget the fact that the economy is in a downturn, and those 550,000 new residents will be competing against Americans for jobs. Let's just keep it simple. Vote on separate proposals based on their merits, not on politics.

The fact of the matter is that E-Verify is a rare government success story. Instead of extending it for five years as a voluntary program; it ought to be made permanent and mandatory. Don't the senators and congressmen get it? We have an illegal immigration problem, and that means we have a legal problem - a problem created not by criminals but by legislators who refuse to take action.

It's up to everyone to put pressure on Menendez to let this program come to a vote. His mail address is Sen. Robert Menendez, 317 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510. His phone number is 202-224-4744. He can also be reached by webmail at http://menendez.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm

But don't stop there. Let Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester of Montana know what you think as well. Our two Democratic senators have both seemed to recognize the need for sanity in immigration laws, and have often voted against amnesty and other programs that make it easier for those who have broken the law. They should be called upon now to persuade their Democratic colleague from New Jersey that he should put the interests of the country ahead of the interests of foreign workers.

You can contact Baucus's office from Montana using a toll-free line at 1-800-332-6106. Or by sending webmail through http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue To contact Tester, call toll-free from Montana at 1-866-554-4403 or use webmail at http://tester.senate.gov/Contact

Time is of the essence since senators are in recess until after Labor Day, and will return for only about 15 days of legislative work before they recess again for electioneering.

There is no need to turn this into a partisan battle. Those who promote the rights of illegal immigrants often blame employers for hiring undocumented workers, and say they should be punished rather than the workers. Here's a chance to make sure that employers are doing the right thing. That's why I say it is a no-brainer to make this program mandatory in the future.

If the illegal hiring stops, the illegal aliens will eventually go home. That's as easy to understand as supply and demand. Let's do the right thing for our country, not for our party.

. Frank Miele is managing editor of the Daily Inter Lake and writes a weekly column. E-mail responses may be sent to edit@dailyinterlake.com