Speech #980005010

Most importantly. the bill will contain provisions intended to reduce the problem of illegal immigration. Intense illegal immigration pressure on the United States will decline only if: First. the availability of U.S. employment is eliminated. or second. the disparity in wages and working conditions is reducedeither through improvement in the Third World or deterioration in the United States. We should do all in our power to assist development in the Third World. But we must remember that the achievement of substantially higher living standards is a longterm prospect at the very best. Since deterioration in the United States is certainly not an attractive resolution. only one approach remains: Prohibiting the knowing employment of illegal aliens. In order to protect both employers and members of minority groups legally in this country. particularly Hispanic Americans. we will require a secure system to enable employers to verify that job applicants are authorized to work in the United States. It is claimed by some that a new verification system would pose a threat to privacy and civil liberties. I have given much sincere thought as to how. say. changing the form of the social security card which is one of the available alternatives. could pose risks to our liberty. I have asked that question of manyfrom the ACLU to the Chairman of the Civil Rights Commission. but no one has yet given a satisfactory answer. Othersnever known for their neglect of civil and human libertiesagree with me. including Father Ted Hesburgh. former Chairman of the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy and of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Senator STROM THURMOND. chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator TED KENNEDY. ranking member of this Senate Subcommittee on Immigration. and the editorial writers of the New York Times. the Washington Post. Los Angeles Times Mirror. Boston Globe. Chicago Herald Tribune. and other major newspapers around the country. Accordingly the bill provides for penalties against employers who knowingly employ illegal aliens and also penalties against persons who knowingly recruit or refer for employment such illegal aliens. The bill provides that if employers and those who recruit or refer for employment can show that they have in good faith followed the procedures outlined in the bill with respect to a particular job applicant. they will not be subject to any penalty. These procedures would include examining certain documents as well as signing under penalty of perjury a statement that such examination was made and the documents were not known to be invalid.