Speech #1100200777

It is more like 300.000. And we have even talked about working on that number and narrowing the universe. So this is about using the existing legal system to have U.S. citizens be able to claim their relatives under the existing system and make sure the visas that exist under the existing system are used in a way that meets the goal of legal immigration. Now. I dont know why we are so hell bound on giving businesses everything they need and then saying to U.S. citizens they do not have the opportunity to be able to meet some of their challenges. In my mind. that is promoting a lawful system. I know it is very easy to slap up the word "amnesty" every time somebody wants to talk about immigration. You can become famous by claiming everything is amnesty. but it doesnt necessarily make It true. The bottom line is what we are talking about is making sure that U.S. citizens who are presently torn apart from their families. and who under existing law have the right to claim that immediate family. have the wherewithal to be reunified using visas that dont get used but which should be used for this family reunification under existing law. So it seems to me we can do EVerify. and do it the way the House did it. so Social Security is not hurt in terms of funds. and we can make sure that we improve upon a system that right now rejects a percentage of American citizens who have legal eligibility to work and yet now have the burden of proof shifted upon them. It changes the whole legal precedent where in our country you are considered innocent until proven guilty. Under EVerify you are guilty until proven innocent. I would be outraged as a citizen if I had to be challenged about my ability to work when I have every right to work but some system is barring me from that right to work. And that situation exists under EVerify. Now. it doesnt mean we should do away with Everify. but we need to make it better. and the House provisions do that. We also say: OK. you want to give those people who have a lot of money to come here and make investments a visa? OK. we will do that. You want the religious workers. of course. who are not necessarily clergy members. but religious workers?