"Statement of Thomas J. Donohue on Immigration Reform"

April 11, 2002

Good Morning. Thank you all for coming today. I'm Tom Donohue, President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. First, I'd like to thank Eliseo (EL-AH-SAYO) Medina and the SEIU for putting this important event together.

You know, it used to be a rare thing for John Sweeney and I to stand together at an event and not debate each other, but more and more, it seems we do find areas of agreement.

For example, we've found common ground in our fight to highlight the plight of millions of Americans without health insurance, and also on the issue we're here to discuss today – immigration.

On the immigration issue, we are in agreement about one thing – the status quo is not acceptable. We may not have all of the solutions worked out, and we even have different motives for being here, but on that point we agree, as do all the other organizations here today.

We need comprehensive, fundamental change in our immigration system — not just more small band-aid fixes that create more problems than they solve.

We need to make it legal for, as President Bush says, "willing employers to get together with willing employees."

Immigrants built this country, and immigrants will rebuild it. Immigrants bring with them a tremendous work ethic and a great appreciation for freedom and opportunity. Just look at the Pentagon – last week's Washington Post story of the immigrants who are so proud to be rebuilding that national symbol.

We need these workers. The ups and downs in the unemployment rate don't change the fundamental reality that America's population is aging and our pool of available workers is shrinking.

By 2010 we will have 167.8 million jobs, a more than 15% increase from current levels. But our workforce is expected to grow only 12%, to 158 million, in the same period.

And the median age of the workforce will be over 40 years old! We're seeing what one demographer has termed the "Floridization" of our society.

We need to change our policies, make legal immigration the norm, and expand—not limit—immigration to meet our labor needs.

New immigration policy must satisfy three important requirements.

First, we need to address the need for employers to hire foreign workers legally when U.S. workers are not available.

Second, we need workable temporary and long-term work visas.

And third, we need to address the status of those who are already here and contributing to our economy.

Experts disagree on the exact number of undocumented workers in this country, but most estimates put it at or near 10 million.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again – rounding up and sending all of these millions home would cause hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, construction sites and many factories in this country to simply shut down.

Now of course, since September 11, everyone is concerned about security. I am, too.

That's why the Chamber chairs the Americans for Better Borders coalition and supports the Kennedy/Brownback Border Security bill that passed the House in December and is waiting for action in the Senate.

But security is an argument for — not against — fixing our immigration system.

We need to know who is coming to our country, we need to know where they are living, and we need assurances that they aren't terrorists.

We need to bring into the light hard-working, upstanding immigrants who deserve protection under our laws, while exposing criminal gangs and terrorists that use the current system to their advantage.

A regulated, structured system will do this.

Some may ask, given the headlines recently, whether the Immigration and Naturalization Service is capable of handling a program like the one we're talking about.

The agency certainly has some serious problems, and we don't kid ourselves that any program we propose would work unless the INS gets its house in order. But that effort is already underway.

Commissioner Ziglar is working on some reforms, Members of Congress also are working on legislation that would improve the agency, and President Bush is looking at broader changes to how our borders are run.

So let's stop dragging our feet and making excuses for why we can't proceed with reforms.

A lot of folks want to bury their heads in the sand and not deal with the reality of our immigration system.

The reality is, we have millions of hard-working immigrants, though here illegally, who fill a real need for our economy.

And the reality is — they are not going home. They are here to stay, so we must come up with a system that protects them and our economy, and which also benefits the nation's business community.

President Bush and President Fox, to their credit, have recognized this reality and have agreed to finally try to address the issue of migration between the United States and Mexico.

We are here today to say to President Bush, President Fox and Congress: Do it. Work it out. And we – all of us here – will be here to work with you. But don't leave this unfinished business.

Thank you.