Speech #1090122417

Hispanic buying power in Idaho rose more than twice as fast as total buying power across our State. Nationwide. the purchasing power of Hispanics will reach $1 trillionthat is trillion with a "t"-in 4 years. Beyond their role in sustaining the countrys labor force. immigrants make a net fiscal contribution to the U.S. economy. The Presidents 2005 Economic Report. which uses figures that are most authoritative in analyzing to date the economic impact of immigrants. says: The average immigrant pays nearly $1.800 more in taxes than he or she costsThe economy. Undocumented immigrants are believed to contribute billions of dollars to our Social Security system. billions of dollars they will not benefit from. According to the Presidents report. the administrations earnings suspense filethat is a file within Social Security made up of taxes paid by workers with invalid or mismatched Social Security numberstotaled $463 billion in While other nations of the developed world are aging. America still sees a youthful face reflected in that mirror in which she looks. Immigration renews the United States. and it keeps us young. while countries such as Japan. as I mentioned earlier. and Russia and Spain are facing problems because their populations are decreasing. America has the necessary arms to support its pension and its social programs. Therefore. a comprehensive immigration reform is in Americas best selfinterest. Yes. we must contain our borders. Yes. we must. in any immigration program. make sure that it is controlled and managed so that those who come to America can. in fact. become Americans. Understanding these realities erases some of the misconceptions bouncing around this Chamber and bouncing around America. misconceptions that sometimes smack of prejudice. Previous immigration waves have experienced it to some extent. but I believe that we. as a nation. are greater than that. When every one of us. except Native Americans. belong to a family that came from somewhere else. we should be careful not to erect mental borders. the type that keep people who are different from us at arms length. We are a nation that encourages new thinking and benefits from the growth that results from that new thinking.