Speech #980210402

It is true there is an additional employer burden here. but we did it precisely so that we would not have the possibility of discrimination with respect to the application of this section of the bill. I am pleased to say that our committee made some important improvements in this legislation as a result of the additional imput we obtained during our hearings in this Congress. In response to concerns that we had failed to provide for enhanced enforcement. we specifically authorized additional funds for the Immigration and Naturalization Service for each of 3 fiscal yearsfunds that will permit a substantially augmented border patrol presence and facilitate effective implementation of employer sanctions and legalization. The administration has even gone beyond that. We have in this years authorization and appropriation an increase in the border patrol of 1.000 positions. the largest. most dramatic increase we have ever had in the history of the United States. We are moving forward with that. I will say to my colleagues in this House that we will not do anything by just increasing the number of people that are involved in the border patrol. it will just be a larger dog or a larger cat chasing a larger tail around in a circle. We need more than just increased border patrol. We provided Canada and Mexico with up to 20.000 additional immigrant visa numbers each in recognition of our special relationship with our neighbors. In fact. we made a mistake 15 years ago as we went. in a right fashion. toward a worldwide quota system. at the same time we reduced. by onehalf. the number of legal migrants that could come to us by our closest neighbor. Mexico. It was a wrong decision.