Speech #1040167777

Mr. President. as immigration reform legislation moves closer to the House and Senate floors. a new study has appeared that confirms what many of us on both sides of the aisle have been saying all along: That legal immigrants confer net economic benefits on American society. The study. entitled "Immigration: The Demographic and Economic Facts." is authored by University of Maryland professor Julian SIMON (no relation) and published by the Cato Institute and the National Immigration Forum in association with a diverse coalition of over 20 organizations. I would like to include for the RECORD a Los Angeles Times article from December 11. 1995 previewing the reports findings. which include the following: The current rate of immigration is only about onethird the rate of immigration at the beginning of the century. Total per capita government expenditures are lower for immigrants than for nativeborn Americans. The effect of immigration on Americans wages is limited. Because new immigrants are more concentrated than nativeborn Americans in the youthful labor force ages. they tend to contribute more to the public coffers than they draw out. Educational levels among immigrants have increased from decade to decade. These conclusions again confirm that current levels of legal immigration are not a problem for America. In fact. the legal immigrants of today demonstrate the same work ethic and imagination that characterized their predecessors of decades ago. and continue to be a vital component of our Nations wellbeing. The same cannot be said of illegal immigrants. These individuals should be the subject of our attention as immigration reform legislation winds its way through Congress. This administration has demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to preventing illegal immigration through increased enforcement at the border and in the workplace. We in Congress should continue this effort and work hand in hand with the administration in this endeavor. In so doing. however. we should not disturb our system of legal immigration. which works now and has worked in America for centuries. The difference between legal and illegal immigration is the subject of much public confusion. It is up to Congress. with the help of such reports as the Simon report. to keep the two issues distinct. and to focus its attention on the real immigration problem: illegal immigration.