Greenspan to testify at Schumer's immigration hearing
BY TOM BRUNE

9:33 PM EDT, April 22, 2009

WASHINGTON - In his debut as the Senate's point man on immigration, Sen. Charles Schumer announced Wednesday that his first hearing next week on "comprehensive immigration reform" will feature former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan to talk about its benefits to economic recovery.

Greenspan is one of at least six witnesses scheduled to testify April 30 about whether a sweeping immigration overhaul is possible this year, given the economy and Congress' focus on health care, energy and education.

"The big question: Can we get major immigration reform?" Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Wednesday. "I don't know. We're just at the beginning. It's too early to tell."

Schumer became chairman of the Senate immigration subcommittee after an ailing Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) gave up the job to focus on revamping the health care system.

As subcommittee chair, Kennedy led unsuccessful efforts in recent years to pass a bill that included tougher immigration enforcement and a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented workers already here.

Schumer said he favors continuing with the same comprehensive approach, rather than piecemeal bills.

But some say it might be tough to sell a bill to the American people this year that lets undocumented immigrants remain working here while the financial meltdown throws millions of U.S. citizens out of work.

President Barack Obama raised hopes among immigrant advocates when he said a month ago he would keep his campaign vow to push for comprehensive reform this year.

Advocacy groups responded by gearing up. La Raza, for instance, Wednesday said it is organizing house parties to make phone calls to lawmakers between now and May 1.

But Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, who is an opponent of comprehensive reform, said, "I think there is going to be a lot of noise, but there isn't going to be a bill on the president's desk."

Douglas Rivlin of the National Immigration Forum and other advocates hailed Schumer's first immigration hearing.

"Nobody is talking about passing an immigration bill next week," he said. "You've got to start somewhere."

The most powerful argument could be that reform helps the economy by taking illegal workers from the shadows and making them pay taxes, estimated at $6.6 billion over a decade, said Angela Kelley, vice president for immigration policy at the Center for American Progress.

Greenspan is expected to make an argument along those lines. Also set to testify are a former Clinton immigration chief, a labor leader, a Hispanic advocate and a local police chief.

The immigration subcommittee's ranking Republican, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, also may invite witnesses, Schumer said Wednesday.

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