Some Republicans who had concerns about the E-Verify provision initially said Tuesday that leadership was willing to address them with an amendment during the House Rules Committee’s markup.
Agriculture industry groups have warned that the E-Verify provision would devastate the sector, which relies heavily on undocumented migrants, prompting concerns among lawmakers who represent districts that heavy in the field. According to the Department of Agriculture, more than 40 percent of hired farm workers do not have legal immigration status.
Rep. Tom McClintock of California, who chairs the Judiciary Committee’s immigration panel, said Tuesday that Republicans plan to add language that would shield the agriculture industry from the E-Verify requirement if it would cause too much disruption.
But when the Rules Committee met that night into the early hours of Wednesday morning, no changes were approved.
The Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington, who represents an agricultural district, said Wednesday afternoon that he is still talking to Republican leaders about potential changes to the E-Verify language, and that they are “getting close. “
