Speech #1010047614

I have been a strong supporter of the United States Congress for the Maquiladoras program. which is a very important program that permits American companies to do assembly work in Mexico and have those products. after they are assembled. brought back into the United States without any tariff. Over 200.000 Mexican workers are employed now in that particular industry. I have also worked hard to ensure that United States immigration policy toward Mexico is fair. In the 100th Congress. I was one of only four Senators who voted against the KennedySimpson legal immigration bill. and I did so because of what I considered were some very detrimental parts of that bill as it relates to Mexico. I would note that the Mexican Government expressed their concern to the State Department on a number of occasions regarding that bill. In that bill we put a ceiling on family reunification visas and we would have reduced the visas for the srcond and fifth preference. Just last week Senator HATCH and myself were successful in adding an aLiendment to the KennedySimpson bill that would guarantee at least 216.000 family preference visas. The 216.000 figure is based on the number granted in 1988. The General Accounting Office. however. had estimated that the bill as presented to the Senate would have resulted in decreasing family preference visas over the next 10 years resulting in a complete elimination of those family visas in the category by Who was most affected from our allies and neighbors? It would have affected certain countries in Asia and certain countries south of our border. In particular. Mexico. I am pleased that the Senate saw fit to pass legal immigration reform that protects the preference system so important to Mexico. As a result of these changes. I decided to vote for that bill.