Speech #1090133964

Mr. President. this is yet another amendment designed to undermine the wellbalanced programs in this bill. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act is the product of hardfought compromise and it reflects a balance between the needs of American business and American workers. Strong coalitions representing both of those sectors of our society support this bill and endorse the temporary worker program contained in it. One critical provision in the bill creates an opportunity for temporary workers who have followed the rules and worked hard while in the U.S. to seek legal permanent status after a period of time. An employer who has come to rely upon an immigrant guest worker and wants to keep that immigrant on staff can file a petition after 1 year for the immigrant to get in line for a green card. The guest worker does not receive any preferential treatment in this program. He must get in the back of the line and meet all the other requirements to earn citizenship. a process that will likely take more than a decade to complete. The Kyl amendment strips out this provision. taking away a valuable option for both the immigrants and their employers. When a similar amendment was debated in the Judiciary Committeeand defeated. as I hope this one will bethe sponsor stated his belief that lower skilled immigrant temporary workers should have to leave the U.S. after a few years. Highskilled workers are not treated in this manner. H1B visas holders have the opportunity to apply for green cards under current law. But some sponsors of this bill are willing to treat guest workers as second class. This attitude is deeply disturbing. Lower skilled workers are essential to our economy and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Many of our great American leaders. scientists. artists. and teachers have immigrant roots of very modest means. Throughout this debate we have heard many Senators tell their personal stories. Almost all of these reflected early years of hardship and struggle while immigrant parents worked hard under very tough circumstances so that their children could have greater opportunities. Not only is that attitude offensive to me. but it makes little business sense. Employers of immigrants in the sectors most likely to use these temporary workers. such as hotels and tourism. food service. health care. and meat packing. support the program in the bill. The National Restaurant Association has stated that the restaurant industry is expected to create almost 2 million new jobs by 2016. It expects this growth to outpace available labor.