Immigration Reform

National Security

The United States of America was founded by immigrants, expanded through the hard work and labor of immigrants, and is continually enriched by the variety of cultures brought by them to our country. Although illegal immigration is obviously a matter of concern, I believe that there should be a clear distinction in the way we treat legal immigrants who respect the laws of our country and undocumented immigrants who break them. I am in favor of comprehensive legislation that will reunite families and create a clear path for earned legalization with sensible enforcement methods. This country is dedicated to helping people attain their goals, make a better life for themselves, and contribute to society.

However, U.S. immigration policy faces significant challenges after the tragic events which occurred on September 11, 2001. As a result of the terrorist attacks, our government has strongly reinforced the importance of regulating the entrance of legal immigrants. The unauthorized entry of illegal immigrants into our country is one of the major issues facing Congress in the coming months and years. I have strongly supported increases in the budget of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE, formerly the INS) and the Border Patrol to respond to illegal immigration. These increases in funding and support will assist these agencies in preventing illegal immigration without punishing those individuals who reside in this country and respect its laws and regulations.

The Physical Border

Providing adequate border security has long been a challenge since doing so must be balanced against other interests such as facilitating legitimate cross border travel and commerce and protecting civil liberties.

I have voted against so-called "enforcement only" legislation in the past, specifically HR 4437 in the 109th Congress. This legislation would add more fences, guards and military technology to the Mexican border and creates a new mandatory employee verification system, to be run by the Homeland Security Department. I believe requiring private employers to verify the immigration status of all potential employees places by an undue burden on employers while doing very little to actually curb illegal immigration. Current law already requires employers to request proper identification documents from potential employees, and this legislation could cause employers to discriminate against applicants based on their ethnic background.

Highly Skilled Worker Visas

I am very concerned about expanding the H-1B visa program. There is no compelling evidence of a labor shortage in the high-tech arena that cannot be met by our existing workforce and newly graduating students. Furthermore, I strongly support funding for the education of U.S. students and training of U.S. workers, and fear that increasing the ceiling on H 1B visas would cause the high tech industry to rely on foreign workers and stymie efforts to educate and re train American workers in need of work.

International Solutions

Although increasing border security is an important and necessary step in maintaining national security, it will not stop the economic forces that push immigrants into the United States. What is driving both legal and illegal immigration to the US is poverty - in particular, the need for jobs in countries south of our border. To seriously deal with immigration, the United States can no longer be the job market for Latin America and that means we must substantively address poverty in the hemisphere.

I am seriously concerned about reductions in assistance to the Western Hemisphere in the President Bush's 2008 budget including a $70 million reduction in development assistance and a $36 million reduction in funding for child survival and health programs. Addressing the root problems that cause immigration in conjunction with increasing border security can help the U.S. maintain both jobs and security.

I was pleased to vigorously support the renewal of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) until February of 2008. As chairman of the Foreign Affairs Western Hemisphere Subcommittee I understand my responsibility to think creatively about how we can reduce poverty and inequality in the hemisphere. Authoring, co-sponsoring, and enacting legislation that addresses these concerns can help us fulfill this responsibility. We must also look to find opportunities for free and fair trade with our neighbors. As we pursue trade policies, we should incorporate social responsibility into agreements so employees and the environment are treated with respect.

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