SARCRAMENTO—Assemblymember Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) today issued the following statement regarding the federal E-Verify mandate bill by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas):

Assemblymember Fong: Rep. Smith's E-Verify mandate bill deeply concerns me. I do not support any flawed mandated system that costs jobs. E-verify was intended to be a voluntary process and requiring businesses to interview and hire in accordance with this faulty system is not in the best interest of businesses or workers.

I've introduced a bill in the California Legislature, AB 1236 that addresses the problems with E-Verify. E-verify has mistakenly identified U.S. citizens as non-citizens which prevents people from working. Mandating the use of E-Verify imposes an expensive, unnecessary regulatory burden on businesses. My bill protects our California workers and businesses. The mandated use of E-Verify would impose a major financial burden on businesses, especially small businesses. In addition, businesses will suffer from delayed hiring and the cost of mistaken identities. In this tough economy, we need to help businesses and grow and provide jobs, not set up barriers that cost jobs.

I strongly urge Rep. Lamar Smith to reconsider his legislation and the devastation that this law would bring to thousands of business and people across our great nation.

Assemblymember Fong serves as Chair of the Elections and Redistricting Committee and is a member of the Higher Education, Utilities and Commerce, and Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committees. In addition, Assemblymember Fong serves as Chair of the Select Committees on High Technology and Climate Change and Coastal Protection and is a member of the Select Committees on Aerospace, Biotechnology, Community Colleges, Domestic Violence, and Innovation and the Bay Area Economy. He represents Cupertino, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and San Jose.

CONTACT: Debbie Diaz Williams @ (916) 319-2022