Speech #1020081597

I am pleased to join today with Senators HATCH and KE1iNEDY in introducing the Employer Sanctions Repeal Act of 1991. 1 have been a longstanding opponent of the employer sanctions provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 [IRCA] for two fundamental reasons: First. employer sanctions promote discrimination. and second. the enforcement of our immigration laws is the responsibility of the Federal Government and not the business community of this Nation. Over a year ago. on March 29. 1990. the General Accounting Office (GAO] issued a report confirming my concerns--the employer sanctions provisions of IRCA have resulted in widespread discrimination in the American job market. The GAO study found that at least 19 percent of the Nations employers adopted discriminatory practices of some kind as a result of employer sanctions.