The U.S. House Judiciary Committee this week recommended, on a 22-13 vote, that House Bill 2285 (full text) be advanced to the House floor. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and 41 other representatives (but none from the Northwest), would require that all U.S. employers use the E-Verify system to check worker eligibility.
Today, four Oregon agricultural groups objected to the bill as currently written. They argued that the bill does not provide for a sufficient workforce and will result in economic damage to Oregon agriculture:
“H.R. 2885 shortchanges the necessary conversation about comprehensive reform,” said Jeff Stone, executive director of the Oregon Association of Nurseries. “Congress needs to act on a balanced approach that considers both the current and future employment needs of our economy.”
See the complete press release with other comments from the Oregon Farm Bureau, the Oregon Dairy Farmers Association and the Oregon Winegrowers Association.
In other perspectives, the Washington Times has published an analysis of the bill’s likely future prospects (dim, according to the newspaper). Free-market advocate Alexander Nowratseh of the Competitive Enterprise Institute posted his own analysis of E-Verify and why he believes it is ineffective. Meanwhile, ImmigrationWorks USA issued a statement in support of the bill.
The bill still must clear two more committees it has been assigned to — the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Education and the Workforce Committee — before it can be considered by the full House.
