Speech #1090139101

Mr. President. our immigration system is broken and needs to be repaired. This bill is a strong step in the right direction. We need to protect our borders and look out for American workers. and we also need a responsible way to meet the need for temporary workers. particularly in the agricultural area. where they represent about 70 percent of the U.S. agricultural workforce. with a path to earned citizenship for hardworking. law abiding temporary workers. This bill. the product of bipartisan compromise. takes a commonsense approach to all of these issues. The comprehensive immigration reform bill before us today would strengthen security at our borders through increased border patrol and heavier fines for employers who violate the law. It would create a sustainable temporary worker program to help fill the lowest wage jobs. It would enforce labor protections for U.S. workers by ensuring that the temporary workers who are certified do not adversely impact them. And it would provide a path to earned citizenship that does not bump anybody who has applied through the legal channels and has been waiting. Undocumented immigrants who have been here for years. set down roots. worked hard. and paid their taxes would go to the end of the line and earn citizenship after perhaps as many as 10 to 15 years. I am pleased that we were able to include additional protections for U.S. workers in the bill. I supported an amendment introduced by Senator OBAMA that strengthens labor protections for U.S. workers and bars employers from hiring guest workers in areas with a high unemployment rate.