FAIR WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
As E-Verify's Use Grows, House Rules Committee Blocks Debate on E-Verify Amendments
On Tuesday, June 23, the House Rules Committee met to determine which amendments would be considered when the full House of Representatives debated the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Homeland Security spending bill. The Committee voted to block the House from even debating and voting on five key amendments related to E-Verify — the free, voluntary, electronically operated system that allows employers to quickly and easily check the work authorization status of their new hires.Read the full article
Amnesty Bill This Year? White House, Congress Send Mixed Messages
Several officials and policymakers last week issued conflicting statements about the timing for "comprehensive immigration reform" — a euphemism for legislation that would grant amnesty to the approximately 12 million illegal aliens living in the United States. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Immigration Subcommittee Chairman Chuck Schumer, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and President Obama all offered statements indicating varying levels of confidence as to whether Congress will pass an amnesty bill at some point this year.Read the full article
California Soft on Criminal Illegal Aliens
Critics are concerned that Governor Schwarzenegger's proposal to release as many as 19,000 criminal illegal aliens in an effort to reduce the state budget deficit will make the people of California less safe. This proposal comes on the heels of the revelation that San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, a candidate for California Attorney General, is behind a program that helped illegal aliens stay out of jail.Read the full article
As Americans Struggle with College Costs, State Gives Discounted Tuition to Foreign Students
Under a new Washington State law, foreign guest workers — and their families who are in the United States — will be allowed to attend college by paying in-state tuition, even though the law does not extend that same benefit to American citizens who are from other states.Read the full article
