Speech #1100054303

I would like to discuss amendment No. 1231. 1 cosponsored this amendment with the senior Senator from Illinois to protect American workers. The amendment would require employers who intend to hire foreign workers to first recruit and find Americans to do the job. The bill before us creates a new guestworker program. known as the Y" visa program. I support this guestworker program. In fact. I voted to keep this program in the bill when the Senator from North Dakota offered an amendment to strike it. I have consistently said that I support new and expanded avenues for willing workers to enter the United States and work for employers who need them. Our countrys employers want to hire legal immigrants. They need a better program. and one that allows nonseasonal or nonagricultural workers to come here. We have programssuch as the H2A andl H2B visasto bring in willing workers. But. there are some jobs that dont fit these categories. For example. in Iowa. we have meatpacking and egg processing facilities that require lowskilled workers. Yet they (10 not have a legal channel to bring in workers. Our existing visa categories dont help them. The "Y" visa program will. But. the bill is flawed in that it doesnt require these employers to first recruit Americans. Companies who use the "Y" visa program should try to find U.S. workers first. How can anyone argue against that? Why not offer the job to U.S. citizens before bringing in more foreign laborers? Under the bill. employers who use the "Y" visa program may be required to recruit U.S. workers through their State agencies. job sites. and trade publications. Some employers will be required to "first offer the job with. at a minimum. the same wages. benefits and working conditions. to any eligible United States worker who applies. is qualified for the job and is available at the time of need." But. as throughout this entire immigration bill. there are waivers. exceptions. and ways of ducking out of such requirements. The authors of this bill make it seem as though Americans will be recruited first. However. these requirements are at the discretion of the Secretary of Labor. The Secretary can decide who has to fulfill these requirements. The DurbinGrassley amendment will ensure that all employers who use the "Y" visa program are looking first at U.S. citizens before looking ab~road. I think that is what we all want. We should agree to this amendment for the sake of American workers.