Federal contractors, Congress and the Obama administration have
yet another respite, this time until May 21, 2009, to decide what
to do about E-Verify. In a notice to be published today in the Federal
Register, contractors and subs who enter into covered agreements
with the federal government need not enroll for now in
E-Verify.
Meantime, Congress needs to decide the fate of this
controversial Web 2.0 method, jointly developed by the Social
Security Administration and the Homeland Security Department, for
employers to determine the right of new hires and some current
employees of federal contractors to work in the United
States. Although embraced by many in federal and state
government, E-Verify is technically on life support; its enabling
legislation sunsets in the first week in March. Yet House
proponents of the program have slipped into that chamber's
version of the economic stimulus bill racing to the President's
desk a requirement that every private employer
