Speech #960342614

Mr. Speaker. a recent Gallup poll. the results of which were released last Friday. showed that 3 out of every 4 adults in this country favored a law which would make it illegal to employ a person who entered this country illegally. The poll also showed that 62 percent of the American public would support a requirement that all citizens and permanent aliens carry an identification card so that prospective employers would be able to distinguish between illegal aliens and legal jobseekers. An October Roper poll. conducted before the Presidential debate. showed illegal immigration and refugees sixth on a list of 18 issues the public wanted discussed in the debate. higher than cutting income taxes and higher than foreign policy. Immigration showed three times the public interest the ERA did. Nonetheless. immigration was not discussed in the debate and neither Presidential candidate addressed the issue in any depth during the campaign. Since neither Presidentelect Reagan nor Vice Presidentelect Bush has a history of concern with immigration issues. we must assume that immigration will not automatically be a priority of the new administration. It is a priority with the American people. as the recent Gallup and Roper polls have shown and it will be up to the 97th Congress to take the lead on immigration reform. The Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy will issue its longawaited report in March. and Congress should then move quickly to begin to bring immigration policy back under control in accordance with the wishes of the American people. I commend to my colleagues attention the following article on the Gallup poll which appeared in the Chicago SunTimes. Sunday.