WASHINGTON, D.C.— The National Restaurant Association issued a statement in reaction to a federal judge's decision to bar the Bush administration from instituting new Social Security "no-match" regulations.
The ruling halts the federal government's efforts to compel businesses to fire workers whose Social Security numbers don't match government's records. Business that failed to comply would have faced federal fines or criminal sanctions
"We are pleased that Judge Breyer acted today to protect small businesses across the country by preventing the administration from moving forward with plans to enforce new no-match regulations," said John Gay, NRA senior vice president for government affairs and public policy.
"We share the judge's concern about the government's proposal potentially costing lawfully employed workers their jobs, and we believe the ruling sends a strong message that the government must carefully consider the cost and implementation of new regulations before making demands of the nation's small business community."
The lawsuit was supported by a diverse group of organizations including the AFL-CIO, the American Civil Liberties Union, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a number of business groups. The groups claimed that mistakes in the federal database could unfairly penalize legal workers.
