Speech #980210402

It is so close to the Capitol that the Capitol dome is revealed behind that construction site. That construction site dealt with the rehabilitation of Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol. The INS discovered that a number of people working on that job site were illegal aliens. Now. those are jobs that are far above the minimum wage. somewhere in the $10 to $12 per hour range. and they are certainly jobs that Americans are looking for. Yet those jobs within a stones throw of the Capitol. were taken by people who were here illegally. So there is an impact on employment. as testified by both the AFLCIO and the NAACP. The Alliance for Immigration Reform. Inc.. pointed out before our committee that "business controls the magnet. not government." and that "If the magnet is to be shut off. then business must do it." That is why we have employer sanctions. Testimony from the National Association of Manufacturers and the Business Roundtable noted that: The industrial community. represented by both organizations. is prepared to accept the imposition of employer sanctions against the hiring of illegal immigrants provided that those sanctions. as outlined in H.R. 1510. recognize the realities of the workplace and do not place an undue burden on employers in order to demonstrate compliance. Deane Dana. chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. testifying on behalf of the County Board of Supervisors. described the proposed employer sanctions as a necessity and concluded that "unless access to jobs is stiffly denied to future undocumented aliens. immigrations reform will not succeed." Senator David Roberti. president pro tem of the California State Senate and a member of the Democratic Party. appearing on behalf of the National Conference of State Legislators. said that "NCSL"-the National Conference of State Legislators-"is supportive of efforts to protect the integrity of our borders and also to discourage employers from knowingly hiring undocumented workers." Our hearing record clearly documents the fact that employer sanctions has a wide constituency. Also in the testimony of the supervisor from Los Angeles County it was revealed that a survey was done of the county hospitals of Los Angeles County. These are the hospitals operated for the public by the county of Los Angeles. and in that they found out that over 60 percent of the live births in Los Angeles County hospitals are to women who are here illegally. I am not suggesting they ought not to extend them some medical assistance in those circumstances. What I am suggesting is that reveals a little bit of the impact that illegal immigration is having in my part of the country. Subcommittee members in the course of our hearings repeatedly questioned witnesses about positive alternatives to employer sanctions. I must confess that no effective option emerged from the discussions. although. as I mentioned. at least one Member suggested an open border with Mexico might be the answer. The subcommittee. not surprisingly. concluded that curtailing job opportunities for illegal migrants is essential if we hope to stem the flow. The Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. Democratic and Republican administrations. the House of Representatives in the 1970s and the Senate in 1982 and 1983 all reached the same conclusion. Opponents of this legislation often argue erroneously that employer sanctions have been ineffective in other countries.