Chairman. the choice is not whether foreign workers will come to this country but whether there will be legal protection or illegal exploitation of those workers. The fact is that under the amendment we have offered in the Agriculture Committee. it is clear that domestic workers would have first preference for available jobs. that domestic workers could not be undercut by cheap foreign labor. that foreign workers would be entitled to adequate housing. insurance against injury. decent working conditions. and fair wages. None of these protections exist today for undocumented workers. There is no need to return to the abuses of the past or to accept those of the present. My amendment provides an alternative to current exploitation by establishing a safety valve program with both the necessary protections and the necessary flexibility.
Keywords matched
undocumented