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A congressional report on the third and fourth years of the program determined that 96 percent of participating employers found the program to be "an effective tool for employment verification," and that 94 percent believed it to be "more reliable than the physical document check" mandated by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIR-IRA) in 1996.

Lawmakers made the pilot program available nationwide in December 2004, but Martin said simple availability of the program is insufficient.

"The problem with it is that it's a voluntary system," Martin argued. "It needs to be made a mandatory, national program."

Rep. David Drier (R-Calif.) introduced the Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act (H.R. 98) in January 2005 to achieve that end.

The new legislation requires that once a federal Employment Eligibility Database (EED) is implemented, no person may be hired by any employer in the U.S. unless they have presented their Social Security or Alien Registration card to the prospective employer and that employer has verified the applicant's legal right to work in the U.S. with the database.

Martin believes such a nationwide, mandatory system would produce multiple benefits.

"If we had the verification system, foreigners would quickly realize that it is not worthwhile trying to come to the United States illegally," Martin predicted, "and the resources of the Border Patrol would be much more effective in controlling the borders."

But Jackson Lee is still challenging the proposed Employment Eligibility Database, complaining about past difficulties in correcting inaccurate alien registration information and expressing fears that the sheer size of the proposed database would exacerbate any problems.

"The act includes a confidentiality requirement and restricts access to the database, but it may not be possible to enforce these limitations," Jackson Lee said. "Moreover, once the database has been created, its use would almost certainly expand."

Pratt hopes Jackson Lee will raise similar questions and objections the next time a bill that would create a database of law-abiding gun owners is proposed in Congress.

"GOA has been saying this for years and we're glad that now that the congresswoman's ox is being gored, she's finally understanding the dangers of forcing honest people to jump through hoops before they exercise their gun rights," Pratt said.

Jackson Lee did not respond to multiple telephone calls and emails to her Capitol Hill office seeking a response for this report.

Rep. Michael Castle (R-Del.) supported both the original Brady/NICS legislation and the expansion proposal. Cybercast News Service contacted Castle's District of Columbia and Delaware offices to determine whether he planned to co-sponsor or support the Employment Eligibility Database legislation but received no response.

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