“Without this requirement it is only a matter of time before a serious disaster occurs.”Last year, Gallegly noted, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested about 40 illegal immigrants working for businesses with contracts at U.S. military bases in Nevada, Georgia and Virginia. At least one of those arrested was a known gang member. That came on the heels of an earlier raid that netted 60 illegal immigrants working for contractors at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.If just one of those employees had been a terrorist, the consequences could have been dire.“We know the Capitol—which is visited by millions of American every year—is a prime terrorist target,” Gallegly said. “This is a simple way to close one loophole in the Capitol’s security.”
Gallegly Bill Requires E-Verify for Capitol Workers
April 11, 2008
Santa Paula News
Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties) today introduced the Secure the Capitol Act, which would require companies with contracts at the U.S. Capitol to screen their employees through an instantaneous, Internet-based employment verification system.
Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties) today introduced the Secure the Capitol Act, which would require companies with contracts at the U.S. Capitol to screen their employees through an instantaneous, Internet-based employment verification system.Currently, a multitude of private companies have government contracts to perform duties throughout the Capitol complex. Before federal employees can be hired, they are required to be screened through the electronic employment verification system, called E-Verify. Contract employees, however, are screened with the old paper system, which has been proven to be rife with abuse and fraud.E-Verify is administered by the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. It quickly verifies whether or not an employee has the legal right to work in the United States.“It is imperative that we require all private contractors working anywhere in the Capitol complex to use the E-Verify system,” Gallegly said. “This program is free to use, highly accurate and removes any uncertainty employers go through during the document review process.
