Speech #1100064963

What is the problem with the legislation? Let me share some thoughts. First. under this legislation. the number of legal immigrants to be allowed into our country and to be given permanent legal status within the next 20 years will double. The legal number will double. Do you think most Americans understand that? I dont. Let me briefly mention the history of immigration in our country. From 1820 to 1879. we had what was called the great continental expansion. where people moved out toward the west. One hundred and sixty thousand came a year. Then it dropped off significantly. From 1880 to 1924. they called it the great wave of immigration. Immigration averaged 580.000 people a year. a big movement of people into our country. and we continued to expand westward in our Nation. Then immigration again began to drop off. particularly daring the Depression. and peoples wages were down. The period of 1925 through 1965 is sometimes referred to as the stopandsettle period. During that time. immigration was at 180.000 a year. and the large great wave of immigrants that came in the decades before were assimilated into America. They became productive. mastered the language. and became part of a settlement and an assimilation that was important for our country. In 1965. we developed the new system of immigration now known as chain migration. which resulted in about 500.000 immigrants a year up until 1990. Since 1990. however. the number doubled. and it has been about 1 million a year. Since 2000. I suggest. counting the illegal flow. it has been at least 1.5 million a year. which is the highest rate of immigration in the history of our country. This bill would basically double legal immigration and do very little to stop the illegal flow. This gives us no time for a stopandsettle period but perpetuates the record high rates of immigration for an indefinite period. That is where we are historically. and we ought to understand that. I dont think anybody would dispute. basically. what I just summarized for you. Let me explain how the Senate bill will double legal immigration. Under current law. 23.4 million immigrants. including 19.6 million green cards and 3.8 million workers. would be admitted and here in year 2027. But under the Senate bill. the numbers would be 47 million immigrants. composed of 38.1 million green cards. twice the 19.6 million green cards that would be issued under current law. and 8 million. almost 9 million temporary workers on top of that. That number of temporary workers would be here on an annual basis. Some would have to leave every year and return every year but that is the potential number. I am certain most Americans do not believe that doubling of the immigration levels in America is what was being discussed when people were promised comprehensive immigration reform. Doubling the legal rate. I believe. is contrary to the impression given by the bills sponsors. People are not being told that reform means this kind of increase. In fact. I would think most people are expecting that immigration reform means we will reduce the rate of immigration which already is at the highest this Nation has ever had. So this kind of knowledge. when it gets out to people. fuels cynicism about what Congress is doing. it fuels anger at the voters. I repeat. I dont think their anger is focussed at immigrants. I think it is focused at those of us in Congress who promised we were going to create a lawful system that would bring some control to our borders. and it ends up doubling the number of immigrants that come lawfully. That is part of the problem. Some people get mad at the talk shows.