Speech #970223895

President. the picture I paint is not a pretty one. I recognize that there has been some improvement and some positive steps taken. but serious problems remain. More importantly. the people of Florida feel. and rightfully so. that there is nothing to prevent the immigration crisis that they faced in the past from happening again in the future. They know that our laws do not work and they believe. with good reason. that the Federal Governments help is usually too little and too late. Nevertheless. the people from Florida from all walks of life have worked together to try to seek solutions to these problems on an individual level. But there are limits to what individuals and States and localities can do when they are dealing with a problem that is the exclusive responsibility of the Federal Government. For that reason. they have come here to Washington to make their voices heard and to press for solutions both of the problems facing Florida and to our national immigration problem. Earlier this year. a half dozen housewives from Miami came here with a petition signed by over 25.000 south Florida residents. The petition which these women had carried from door to door throughout south Florida called for immediate action on immigration reform legislation. The people of Florida have shown their hospitality. They have shown their compassion throughout this ordeal. Going back to 1960. when we had the first Cuban exodus. the people of Florida opened their doors. welcomed the people. and helped them assimilate into this country. But as long as the hopelessness of our present policy. or lack of policy. continues to exist. they will also show the tensions and the despair that go hand in hand with feeling that their Government has abandoned them. I speak for all of them when I say that it is imperative that Congress act to put into place a new set of immigration policies that will enable the United States to control immigration. To some extent. the fact that the bill is before us today is a tribute to the persistence of Floridians. Their voices are finally being heard. But it is also a tribute to the leadership. the will. and the determination of the Senator from Wyoming and the members of his subcommittee. I want to congratulate him and each of the members of the subcommittee for the work that they have done. As I said earlier. immigration is an abstract problem to most Americans. The issues of immigration are not easy. They are certainly not very sexy. I am certain that immigration is not the hottest issue in Wyoming. But the Senator has managed to raise the publics attention and educate the public as to the nature of the immigration problems facing us. Moreover. he has conducted a comprehensive set of hearings on all aspects of the problem. and he has produced a bill which seeks to fairly address the concerns of all persons interested in this issue. He has kept the debate on a substantive level. and he has brought a wellthoughtout proposal to the Senate floor. My hat is off to the Senator from Wyoming. and I congratulate him on his efforts. The provisions of S. 2222 reflect the careful study and care which Senator SIMPsoN has brought to the immigration issue. I would like to make a few comments on the bill itself. The most important reform it makes is the way that It deals with the question of ilegal Jobs. The problem caused by illegal jobs cannot be overstated. It is estimated that there are as many as 6 million illegal aliens in the United States. Just last week 10.8 million Americans were unemployed. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that each unemployed worker costs $7.000 in unemployment and welfare benefits. If only 1 percent of the jobs that are held by illegal aliens were held by unemployed Americans. the cost of unemployment could be reduced by over $400 million. It is likely that much more than 1 percent of the illegal aliens work in jobs that unemployed Americans would be delighted to fill.