Speech #1040196553

Do they really take the jobs Americans do not want. or with millions lesser employed in the United States. and having done a welfare reform bill. will there not be many people looking for workall questions that will never go away. ever. We are informed that in the California public school system subjects are taught in 100 different foreign languages. California must construct a new school building every day to keep up with immigrant student enrollment. It is not only illegal immigration. which is about 300.000 entries a year. but also our historically high level of legal immigration. about 1 million a year in the current years. that have given credence and impetus to the widespread view that Immigration is out of controlperhaps even more tragically. beyond our control. I do sincerely believe that if Congress fails to act to address these very real and reasonable concerns of the American people. there is a very strong possibilityand we have all been warned about this by the select commission. and by the Jordan Commissionwe will lose our traditionally generous immigration policy. The American people will demand a halt to all immigration. They will not stand still for the Congressknowsbest approach. as some would have us take this route on this burning issue. For these and other reasons. I will. at an appropriate time. offer an amendment to provide a modest. temporary reduction in legal immigration. It matters not one whit to me what the vote is on that. but we will vote on that issue. It will attempt to reduce immigration to a level approximately 10 percent below current level and hold it at that level for 5 yearsa breathing space. if you will. For the first time in more than 50 years. there will be no increase in legal Immigration over a 5year period. At the end of the 5 years. the numbers and the priority system will return to exactly what they are under the present lawno change. back to business as usual. During this 5year breathing space. the visas will go first to the closest of family members of citizens of the United States of America. They will go first to citizens. Then they will go to the closest family members of permanent resident aliens. and then to other immigrants. Any that remain will fall down logically to the lowest priority of family immigrants. We can expect many amendments and several days of debate and much disagreement. but despite the emotion. fear. guilt. and racism that is involved in the immigration issue. we have always--historically. at leasthad a good. clean. honest. civil debate on immigration in this body. I trust it will be no different this week. Republicans will disagree among themselves.