Speech #1060031420

At a business meeting of the Committee on May 20. 1998. the legislation was amended and then ordered to be favorably reported to the Senate. Unfortunately. the Senate did not take action on the measure prior to adjournment. The portion of the Committee amendment that I am introducing today provides for full extension of the Immigration and Nationality Act contingent on the Attorney General finding that 1) the Northern Marianas does not possess the institutional capacity to administer an effective system of immigration control or 2) the Northern Marianas does not have a genuine commitment to enforce the system. Neither I nor the Committee question the commitment of the current administration of the Northern Marianas to attempt to rectify the problems that led to this legislation. but we are mindful that commitments have been made in the past and then ignored. We also recognized that the Commisssion on Immigration Reform and others have concluded that some of the problem is structural and that a local government simply may not have the capability to maintain an effective immigration program within our federal system. As a result. the Committee adopted a provision that will take effect without further Congressional action if the requisite findings are made. The Committee viewed this as a last opportunity for the local government and provided that the Attorney General must promptly issue standards so that the Marianas is on full notice of what will be required. If. however. it does become necessary to extend federal law. the Committee also adopted amendments to the bill as introduced to ensure that those industries. especially construction. that depend on temporary workers for temporary jobs will have full access to alien labor as necessary. The Committee was mindful of the concern by the hotel industry over access to workers. and accordingly adopted a provision that would permit the transition provisions to be extended for additional five year periods as long as necessary. The Committee amendment required the Attorney General and the Secretary of Labor to consult with the Northern Marianas one year prior to the expiration of the transition period. and at 5year intervals thereafter. to determine whether the provisions will continue to be needed.