Speech #1100051672

At the end of their temporary status. almost all of these workers would have to go home. That means at the end of the first three years. we would have at least 1.2 million of these new guestworkers in the country with only 30.000 of those having any real hope of getting to stay. I believe we are setting ourselves up for failure. and that will just create a new undocumented immigrant population. As we have learned with misguided immigration policies in the past. it is naive to think that people who do not have a way to stay legally will just abide by the system and leave. They wont. This new group of secondclass workers will replace the current group of undocumented immigrants. placing downward pressure on American wages and working conditions. And when their time is up. they will go into the shadows where our current system exploits the undocumented today. I will support amendments aimed at fixing the temporary worker program that Senator BINGAMAN and others will be offering. And if were going to have a new temporary worker program. those workers should have an opportunity to stay if they prove themselves capable and willing to participate in this country. But the most disturbing aspect of this bill is the point system for future immigrants. As currently drafted. it does not reflect how much Americans value the family ties that bind people to their brothers and sisters or to their parents. As I understand it. a similar point system is used in Australia and Canada and is intended to attract immigrants who can help produce more goods. But we need to consider more than economics. we also need to consider our Nations unique history and values and what familybased preferences are designed to accomplish. As currently structured. the points system gives no preference to an immigrant with a brother or sister or even a parent who is a United States citizen unless the immigrant meets some minimum and arbitrary threshold on education and skills. Thats wrong and fails to recognize the fundamental morality of uniting Americans with their family members. It also places a persons job skills over his character and work ethic.