House Rules Panel Denies Immigration-Reduction Votes on Spending Bills
The House Rules Committee, in separate actions involving the FY2010 Energy and Water Appropriations bill (S 1436) and the Financial Services Appropriations bill (H.R. 3170), denied a floor vote on immigration-reduction amendments that would have helped protect American workers. In drafting the rule that defines acceptable House floor amendments for the Energy and Water Appropriations bill, the Rules Committee refused to allow votes on amendments that would have required federal contractors to use the E-Verify program as a condition for receiving government funds [sponsored by Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.)], and prohibited agencies funded under the bill from hiring illegal aliens [sponsored by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa)]. Under the rule for the Financial Services Appropriations bill, the Rules Committee denied a vote on an amendment sponsored by Rep. King that would have prohibited funds under the bill from being used to limit Federal, State or local law enforcement officials from communicating the citizenship or immigration status of any individual to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.