Speech #970274905

The H2 program. already in law in 1964. became the only vehicle for the introduction of nonimmigrant alien agricultural labor in the country. But. the H2 program was subject to much closer Government scrutiny. and much more careful Government supervision. For these reasons. unlike the bracero program. the H2 program was able to be kept within reasonable bounds. and was able to remain. in a general sense. a program for the importation of nonimmigrant alien labor only to perform jobs for which there truly were insufficient domestic workers. And it is concern about what the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1982 might do the use of nonimmigrant. alien. temporary agricultural workers. that is the basis for this debate this evening. The Education and Labor Committee requested Jurisdiction over this bill for several important reasonsthe most important of which was the historical jurisdiction of the Committee on Education and Labor. Under rule X. clause l(g) of the rules of the House. the Committee on Education and Labor has jurisdiction over: First. measures relating to education and labor generally. second. labor standards. third. regulation or prevention of importation of foreign laborers under contract. and fourth. wages and hours of labor.