SAVE Act Builds Momentum

According to Numbers USA, both business and labor leaders have endorsed this bill.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), representing more than 600,000 small businesses in every state endorsed SAVE's requirement that every employer run every new hire (and eventually old hires) through the electronic E-Verify system to ensure that illegal aliens don't get American jobs. It said the bill strikes a “fair balance between increased enforcement and limiting regulatory burdens placed on small business.”

The 752,000-member International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers -- as a way to protect American jobs for American workers -- endorsed the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement Act (SAVE Act).

In politics you never say never, however it is fair to say that the SAVE Act has some great momentum. It certainly has all the political elements in place to become law. Here is how Heath Shuler, the man that introduced the bill, put it.

The SAVE Act is commonsense legislation that is bringing people together to address this difficult issue," Shuler said. "I was proud to work with the NFIB and IBEW while drafting this legislation because of their strong representation of American businesses and American workers. I deeply appreciate their continued support for this bill as we work to pass the SAVE Act into law.”

Numbers says that some bloggers have expressed doubts that it isn't tough enough. I have not heard and my doubts are different and so far they haven't been heard. SAVE Act will most likely create a massive new government bureaucracy. This bill has all the right intentions and lots of people behind it and for that matter I am afraid that many are overlooking its potential problem. I firmly believe that with proper attention and debate the Congress can work it out so that this bureaucracy doesn't become counter productive. That won't happen unless people recognize the potential problem.

Too often we fawn over good work. I believe that some of that is happening here. I firmly believe that Congressman Shuler has created a bill that can have tangible positive effects on stemming the flow of illegal immigration. That doesn't mean that there aren't potential flaws. If we don't address the right way to deal with the massive new bureaucracy that will be put in place, it will wind up working about as well as much of the rest of INS and other such bureaus.

I support the concept behind this bill and I believe that it needs a full and fair hearing, however I am troubled by the way in which a bi partisan group of legislators and special interests are falling over each other without offering any constructive criticism to make it better. We don't need another massive non functioning bureaucracy, and that is what we will have if the powers that be don't recognize that potential flaw and address it. It won't be addressed if every group under the sun is fawning over this bill like a rock star.