Speech #980210326

During these difficult economic times. I strongly feel that we have to develop a strategy to get Americans working. Illegal immigrants should not be displacing American workers. A 1979 Government study estimated that as many as 1.2 million jobs held by an alien could be filled by unemployed Americans. Economists may argue that this is a small percentage of the total work force. less than 1 percent. but aggregate numbers mask the true human cost. We cannot idly stand by and squander our most valuable resourcepeople. Thus. some controls are needed to stem the influx of illegal aliens. SimpsonMazzoli addresses this problem by penalizing employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens. A truly longterm solution must of necessity address the social and economic problems in other countries which are the underlying causes of illegal immigration. In the immediate context of this debate. SimpsonMazzoli concentrates on reform which removes the incentive for hiring illegal immigrants. If existing law says that such workers cannot legally work in the United States. why should employers be allowed to knowingly hire illegal immigrants with impunity? All this bill would do is require employers to change from a posture charitably characterized as benign neglect to one of assuring proper compliance with existing law. On the other hand.