Speech #1090179536

President. I take a few minutes to respond to some of the comments made this afternoon by my colleagues from Idaho. from California. and Massachusetts. First of all. they are correct in stating the H2A program. which is the existing temporary nonimmigrant worker program for agriculture. does not work the way it should. However. what Senator CRAIG. Senator FEINSTEIN. Senator BOXER. and Senator KENNEDY propose to do. rather than make many of the necessary changes to make the H2A program viable nationwide Is. first of all. to grant an amnesty to virtually everyone who has passed through agricultural occupations in the past 2 years. We all know that agriculture has been the traditional gateway occupation for illegal immigrants in the United States. I strongly disagree to largescale adjustment of status for illegal aliens philosophically. particularly in the area of agriculture. but my objection has practical roots. Agricultural work is the hardest. most backbreaking work in the United States today. As soon as we give illegal aliens who are currently working in agriculture lawful. permanent resident status. as the AgJOBS bill will do. they will no longer choose to work in the fields. packing sheds. groves. or processing facilities. I come from the heart of agriculture country in the southeastern part of the United States. I have talked to farmers in my area not just for the 12 years I have been privileged to serve in Congress but even before that. Labor has been the most critical issue they have had to deal with year in and year out in addition to disasters. to too much rain. to not enough rain. to high gas prices. The immigration issue has the potential to be the answer if we do the right thing. We know these folks will leave agriculture and move into the private sector because this is what happened in 1986 after Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act. Included in that legislation was the special agricultural worker program that gave temporary legal status to illegal aliens who had worked a certain number of years in agriculture. Two years after obtaining a temporary statusand in some cases 1 yearthose illegal workers were given permanent status. They soon left the fields and moved into the private sector in so many other areas where we find them today.