Please call your Senators and urge them to support

 American worker protections in the economic

stimulus package.

Senators are currently preparing to offer amendments to the economic stimulus package (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009). Votes on these various amendments are likely to occur on Tuesday night and Wednesday. It is very important that your Senators hear from your as soon as possible!

The House version of the stimulus package had two amendments that protected and enhanced the E-Verify employment verification program. The first amendment, offered by Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), would reauthorize E-Verify for 5 years (it is currently set to expire on March 31). The second amendment, offered by Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), would require all businesses that receive stimulus money to use the E-Verify system to ensure that only Americans and legal residents benefit from the stimulus package. Both of these amendments passed by a voice vote, meaning no Representatives openly opposed the amendments.

The Senate version of the bill does not have these E-Verify provisions. However, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) is trying to have this language added. He will soon be proposing three amendments which go even further than the amendments offered by Reps. Kingston and Calvert. Sen. Sessions‘ amendments will reauthorize E-Verify for 5 years, preclude stimulus funds from going to entities that don’t use E-Verify, and authorize ample funding for the Social Security Administration to fully implement E-Verify.

Please call your Senators and urge them to support Sen. Sessions’ amendments to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It is important that the economic stimulus package have these E-Verify provisions so that American workers have a fair chance of receiving stimulus-funded jobs.

Lee ADDS: There is about $400 BILLION or more in PORK and LARD that MUST be removed from this Bill as well!