Hunter, Murtha, and Tancredo Agree on SAVE Act

The Secure America with Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act is unveiled today in the House as a new solution to illegal immigration.

Republican Brian Bilbray and Democrat Heath Shuler introduced the bill, which has already got some big names attached, including Republican presidential candidate Duncan Hunter, John "Slanderer" Murtha, and Tom "Immigrants!? Don't let them touch you!" Tancredo.

One of the more controversial provisions would make the so-called E-Verify program mandatory, a move that raises major concerns with industry officials.

Proponents of the E-Verify program say it allows employers an inexpensive way to ensure they are hiring legally documented workers. They maintain that the program has been successful, but is only being used by a small percentage of employers.

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The Shuler-Bilbray bill would also close existing loopholes that allow illegal immigrants to use the same Social Security number and will require information-sharing between the Department of Homeland Security, the Social Security Administration and the IRS.

In order to increase border security, the bill seeks to provide an 8,000-agent increase for the U.S. Border Patrol and an expansion of the investigative abilities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

So far, neither Democratic nor Republican leadership have endorsed the bill. The Democrats don't want to see enforcement increases. The Republicans are waiting to see how much fuss gets put up by business.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 01:10 PM

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