Speech #980183703

The impact of the Panetta/ Morrison amendment would be devastating in terms of the modest progress American farmworkers have made and will seriously undermine future attempts to organize to Improve their standard of living. The H2 provisions of the bill and the Panetta/Morrison amendment are another attempt to codify existing exploitation and dehumanization of Illegals. Either of these initiatives will increase unemployment among American migrant farmworkers and will result in continued deterioration of the working. housing. and health conditions facing the migrant workers of America. An Important and necessary element of any immigration bill must be a legalization program. Although the bill does contain such a program. the requirements are ambiguous. because only a small percentage of undocumented aliens will be able to qualify or demonstrate their eligibility for legal status. We must resolve these problems before we can in good faith. pass any immigration reform. The complex issues and problems which may occur as a result of this bill deserve a more complete analysis. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 4909. the Immigration Reform Act of 1984. This bill represents a more equitable approach to solving the problems caused by illegal immigration. and when this bill receives the serious consideration it deserves. we will be in a far better position to pass an immigration reform bill. In summation. I would like to reiterate my earlier statement that it would be a grave mistake to allow H.R. 1510 to move forward.