Speech #990186054

To the contrary. I believe it will heap coals on the fiery debate over legalization which has always been more controversial than the agricultural labor issues to begin with. In sum. what we have here is a fake stalemate over agricultural labor with a solutionthe dual legalization programwhich will in fact add to the contentiousness of the debate over immigration reform legislation. Again. while I would certainly not question anyones motives. the fact that a socalled compromise is centered around this dual legalization concept leaves me with a great deal of anxiety and doubt as to the seriousness of this compromise effort and certainly as to the ability of this compromise effort to be finalized in a way that would be adopted on the floor of this House. I would also suggest that while a guaranteed replenishment of labor may have a superficial appeal to some in agriculture. I would not want to stake the future of an entire industry on the unlikely event that Congress will swallow such a proposal. I might add that it would be shortsighted to think that even if the dual legalization proposal fails. it will also forever doom immigration legislation forever and thus provide for an indefinite extension of the status quo. Those in agriculture who believe that the status quo is something they can live with ought not to believe that we will have a status quo forever. I have tried to suggest to them that their legitimate interests will not be met if in fact we do not have a comprehensive immigration reform package in the near term. But if we go beyond the near term. I am fearful that we will have a much different measure and with much different consequences. What I fear to be the more likely scenario is that as the pressures of illegal immigration continue to mount. the environment will become less conducive to a reasoned debate. Under such circumstances. many of the legitimate concerns of those in agriculture could be sacrificed for the larger struggle to regain control of our borders. In the interim. INS would be almost certain to concentrate its resources on illegal aliens where they are most likely to be foundthat is. in the fields. Thus. the problem of illegal immigration is not going to go away. It cannot be wished away. As pressures on the border mount. it is likely that the stability of the work force in agriculture will become increasingly tenuous. It is therefore not only in the national interest. but I would suggest also in the interest of agriculture itself for us to adopt a workable immigration reform bill in this Congress. Finally. I would like to dissuade anyone from the illusion that if the green card proposal of 1986 falters. "punting" on the agricultural issue altogether will be the next available option. It just seems to me that faltering of that type will not necessarily inexorably lead us into the possibility that somehow we will excise agriculture from the bill at all. As I mentioned earlier from a policy standpoint. it is simply not possible to divorce consideration of the agricultural labor issue from any attempt to attain comprehensive immigration reform. Simply pretending that a problem does not exist is not usually associated with political courage. In addition. it is likely that a bill which seeks to deal with the agricultural labor issue will have greater support in this body than one which seeks to ignore it.