California Rep. Elton Gallegly Goes to Bat for E-Verify

California will miss U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-24), the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Policy Enforcement.

Gallegly, who has served in the House since 1987 and is Simi Valley’s former mayor, recently announced his retirement. Included in his long list of accomplishments, Gallegly is noted for his strong resistance to the various amnesty bills and other illegal immigrant entitlement legislation presented to him during his terms. Gallegly earned an A- immigration reduction grade.

But the redrawing of the Congressional district map put Gallegly in an awkward political position. In the newly created district Gallegly would have to go head to head with another Republican and friend, Howard “Buck” McKeon or switch districts to face a strong Democratic opponent.

Given those choices, Gallegly opted to retire which he first tried to do in 2006. [Longtime Rep. Elton Gallegly Will Retire, by Jim Puzzanghera and Richard Simon, Los Angeles Times, January 9, 2012]

But before he leaves office, Gallegly is determined to use his considerable influence to bring House Judiciary Committee chairman Lamar Smith’s Legal Workforce Act to the floor for a full vote. The bill, which passed committee in September, has been blocked by Republican House leadership.

In his Washington Times editorial, Gallegly strongly outlined the case for mandatory E-Verify which would open up jobs (Gallegly “guarantees” it) for millions of Americans and help remove identity theft from the hiring process. As unemployed Americans get jobs formerly held by illegal immigrants,  aliens would eventually self deport and fewer would come.

Gallegly, who predicts that if given the opportunity the House and Senate would vote in favor of Smith’s H.R. 2885, cites ample evidence to make his case that E-Verify is a well overdue job creation vehicle.

Wrote Gallegly:

“For 37 straight months, beginning right after President Obama signed his $1 trillion stimulus package, the U.S. unemployment rate has exceeded 8 percent, the longest streak since the 1930s. The House has passed 27 job-creating bills that are sitting in the Senate awaiting action. House leadership even distributed cards listing the 27 bills, which it touts at press conferences as the House jobs package.” [Gallegly: E-Verify Ready to Put Americans to Work, Washington Times, March 16, 2012]

In the meantime, pressure on House Majority Leader John Boehner intensifies. Boehner and other House leaders are the targets of a NumbersUSA advertising campaign to bring attention to their collective and cynical failure to move the Legal Workforce Act forward.