Interview with Tony Snow at CNN, with Kiran Chetry this morning 6:50am:

Kiran: "How about when it comes to cost. There's a Heritage Foundation estimate that says it will cost taxpayers some $2.6 trillion. You're shaking your head 'no'. This takes into [account] retirement and other benefits for people that are eventually given legal status and into account the increased tax revenue as well. Are we fully aware of the future implications of this bill?"

Snow: "Right. Like, I love our friends at Heritage, but this is a study that is highly controversial because it basically assumes that any immigrant is merely going to be a consumer of government services rather than a contributor to the economy."

Kiran: "It actually doesn't. It takes into account increased tax revenue for people who would then be legally working and on the books."

Snow: "Well, let me continue -- It, it, if what it actually does is still assume lower levels of income its own. We've got a Council of Economic Advisors who put together their own study and there's a fair amount of academic research indicating that when people come here to work they contribute to the economy. In fact, the benefits are overwhelming and so, uh, frankly we think that study's kind of an outlier both academically and in terms of the experience with Americans."

Kiran: "So what does THAT study say about the cost?"

Snow: "What the study says is that you're going to have a net benefit that is significant. Academic research indicates for instance, in California, net benefit of immigration: of immigrants who come to work, including taking out what they consume in services, is in the billions of dollars. A similar study has been conducted in North Carolina: same result.

"Use common sense, Kiran. If you have people who come to this country, they're working and contributing to the economy. They're buying, they're using services, they're paying taxes. And, by the way, this bill does not guarantee, it says the people do not have access to the welfare system. One of the premises in the study is completely at odds with the bill that's being debated right now.

"So again, I understand that it's important to tote costs and benefits, but you also have to take a look at the actual bill and the actual experience of working Americans."

Kiran: "Yeah, I think that some of the Senators have to take a look at the actual Bill as well."