Speech #970254162

Mr. Speaker. It has been inferred that the consideration and passage of H.R. 6514. the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1982 would help heal Americas unemployment problems. I find this ironic. One. because I firmly believe that blaming undocumented immigrants for unemployment problems is scapegoating. Two. because an expanded H2 programthat is a program that invites workers from Latin America and the Caribbean. to work in this country on a temporary basishas been included in H.R. 6514. This seems to be another version of the now abolished Bracero program. which was instituted as a result of a labor shortage. I appreciate the extensive work done by the authors of H.R. 6514. I understand the problems that confronted them in their drafting of this bill. But I still believe a change in our immigration policy must take into account a variety of interests not addressed in H.R. 6514. One such area. not touched on by this bill. is the foreign policy aspects of immigration reform. I published an article in the November 8 edition of the Christian Science Monitor on this subject. I am not proposing that my article contained the answer to U.S. immigration problems. but I feel that it does add another dimension to the discussion of this question. I. therefore. hope that my colleagues will consider postponing scheduling this bill during the lameduck session. It is much too important an issue to be rushed. Our immigration problems will be with us for the indefinite future. Continued study of this problem does not mean that it should not be addressed. it simply means that some major questions regarding immigration reform have not been answered. I submit the article from the Christian Science Monitor for examination by my colleagues. MFrom the Christian Science Monitor.