Thread: FAIR House Guest Worker Program Hearing Report 7/19

From: Federation for American Immigration Reform
Date: 2006/07/19 Wed PM 04:50:36 EDT
Subject: House Guest Worker Program Hearing Report - July 19, 2006

House Committee Hearing on Guest Worker Programs
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing on July 19, 2006 entitled "Guest Worker Programs: Impact on the American Workforce and U.S. Immigration Policy." The panel was comprised of Elizabeth Dickson, Chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Subcommittee on Immigration, Luawanna Hallstrom, Co-Chair of the Agricultural Coalition for Immigration Reform, Jack Martin, Special Projects Director at FAIR, Dr. Phil Martin, Professor of Agricultural Economics at UC Davis, and Rebecca Smith, Coordinator for the Immigration Law Project. Chairman McKeon opened the hearing with a statement in which he said Congress needs to enact a temporary worker program that meets the needs of American workers and students, "nothing more, nothing less." Ranking Minority Member Miller remarked that we must "first and foremost" start with enforcement, protecting our border and then the American worker.

The panel opened with Ms. Dickson, who testified that the U.S. is facing a growing number of shortages of workers in several areas and that the current temporary worker program is inadequate to meet these needs. Ms. Hallstrom then stated that if Congress passes an employment verification program without a guest worker program, the agricultural industry "would fall apart." Mr. Jack Martin explained that the number of guest workers admitted to the U.S. has grown rapidly over two decades; the number admitted in 2004 was more than twice the number admitted in 1995, and the number in 1995 was more than twice that admitted in 1985. He argued against admitting any more guest workers, stating that guest workers have a negative impact on the wages of American workers. Ms. Smith expressed concern about all U.S. workers and said that legalization is the best way for these exploited laborers to be able to exert their rights. Dr. Martin testified that current guest worker programs in the U.S. were not really intended or structured to be temporary in nature, leading to the saying that "there is nothing more permanent than a temporary worker program." He argued that guest worker programs had distorted the labor market because employers had begun to depend on the fact that there would be a continual supply of cheap foreign labor. He stated that a guest worker program would only be legitimate if there were a demonstrated economic need for the workers and that the workers were truly temporary.

There was some discussion among witnesses about a provision in the Senate bill that requires guest workers under a new program to be paid what is termed the "prevailing wage." Chairman McKeon stated that the provision was particularly troubling because the effect, in some circumstances, would be that guest workers receive a higher pay rate than U.S. workers. However, despite these concerns, Ms. Dickson, Ms. Hallstrom, and Ms. Smith agreed that additional guest workers and a legalization program were needed to maintain the U.S. economy.

If you would like to read Jack Martin's testimony in full, click here. In addition, as an item of interest, FAIR is also providing you with a link to the GOP Border Security Bulletin summarizing today's hearing click here.

Stay tuned for more updates on immigration reform as Congressional hearings continue this summer.
















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However, despite these concerns, Ms. Dickson, Ms. Hallstrom, and Ms. Smith agreed that additional guest workers and a legalization program were needed to maintain the U.S. economy.

Someone please explain how legalizing illegal immigrants is going to help our economy.

Additional guest workers? No way.......



However, despite these concerns, Ms. Dickson, Ms. Hallstrom, and Ms. Smith agreed that additional guest workers and a legalization program were needed to maintain the U.S. economy.