For a Third Time, Federal Government Delays Mandatory E-Verify Use for Government Contractors

U.S. Chamber applauds administration's decision to review questionable policy

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Following today's decision by the Obama administration to postpone the implementation of mandatory E-Verify use for federal contractors for a third time, until June 30, 2009 at the earliest, Robin Conrad, executive vice president of the National Chamber Litigation Center (NCLC), issued the following statement:

"We applaud the administration's decision to take more time to re-evaluate its questionable policy mandating E-Verify use for federal contractors. We are hopeful that they will agree that E-Verify is the wrong solution at the wrong time.

"Regardless of the administration's ultimate decision in the rule, we stand by our lawsuit challenging the legality of the new rule. The Executive Branch may not make E-Verify use mandatory when Congress clearly said that it must be voluntary."

The lawsuit, Chamber of Commerce, et al v. Napolitano, et al., challenges the use of an Executive Order to circumvent Congress to make E-Verify use mandatory for qualified federal contractors and subcontractors. The announcement of the delay is expected to be published in the Federal Register tomorrow.

NCLC is the public policy law firm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that advocates fair treatment of business in the courts and before regulatory agencies.

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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