Rep. Kevin Brady, says he's pushing legislation in Congress to require the nation's 7.4 million employers to electronically verify the identity and immigration status of newly hired employees. But in contrast to some rival worker verification proposals, the plan Brady backs would only screen prospective workers using the records of the Social Security system -- and not the Department of Homeland Security. The Republican lawmaker says his approach, "...rejects the 'Big Brother' solution'' sought by sponsors of some other measures on Capitol Hill.
Brady dubs his plan "Smart Brother'' instead of "Big Brother.''
Brady says adoption of a plan he is co-sponsoring with a number of Republican and Democratic colleagues in the House will "...ensure that we do not have an eight-track tape player system in an iPod world.''
The most comprehensive version of competing electronic verification proposals would require employers to submit the names of both existing employees and new employees to databases at the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security in order to get the green light to hire the workers.
Rep. Sam Johnson, a fellow Texas Republican co-sponsoring the measure, calls reliance on Social Security records the only way to confirm U.S. citizenship for American citizens.
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