[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6923]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 AMNESTY BILL HARMS VULNERABLE WORKERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Holding). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Brooks) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, the President and Senate Gang of 
Eight amnesty bill is not only bad for America, it is a disaster for 
American workers who are pitted against millions of illegal aliens in 
the competition for scarce jobs.
  On April 24, 2013, Dr. Frank Morris, former executive director of the 
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and now leader for the African 
American Leadership Foundation, stated, ``The Senate Gang of Eight's 
immigration bill is not only impractical, but immoral. Increasing 
immigration levels through amnesty and new visa programs, particularly 
at the low-skilled level, will flood the labor market with millions 
more people, leading to higher unemployment, more poverty, and a lower 
standard of living for many in the Black community.''
  Dr. Morris is right. Amnesty undermines millions of African-American 
workers' incomes and job searches by flooding the American market with 
cheap labor.
  In an April 23 news release, the African American Leadership 
Foundation stated, ``Blacks have an unemployment rate nearly twice that 
of the national average. The Senate's immigration plan to drastically 
increase the immigrant workforce will continue to keep that number 
high.''
  Dr. Morris emphasized that illegal aliens have huge advantages over 
American job seekers. ``Immigrants are the preferred employees because 
they are more vulnerable, you can cut them out of overtime, you can cut 
them out of safety measures, you can cut them out of anything and they 
have no recourse.''
  Charles Butler, also of the African American Leadership Foundation, 
added that the amnesty bill would ``provide green cards and residency 
benefits to illegal aliens when many Americans are hurting the most. 
What makes sense is for America's jobs to be reserved for people who 
are legally entitled to compete for them.''
  In 2007, T. Willard Fair, president of the Urban League of Greater 
Miami emphasized that, ``Amnesty for illegal workers is not just a slap 
in the face to Black Americans. It's an economic disaster.
  ``I see illegal immigration and the adverse impact that it has on the 
political empowerment of African Americans and the impact it has on the 
job market.''

                              {time}  1020

  How bad does illegal immigration hurt American workers?
  Harvard Professor George Borjas found in a study released in April 
2013, and I quote, ``Illegal immigration reduces the wage of native 
workers by an estimated $99 billion to $118 billion a year, and 
generates a gain for businesses and other users of immigrants of $107 
billion to $128 billion.''
  Who is hurt the most by illegal aliens? American workers who lose $99 
billion to $118 billion in badly-needed income.
  Who is helped the most by illegal aliens? Employers who pad their 
profits to the tune of $107 billion to $128 billion when they hire 
illegal aliens over Americans. Dr. Borjas adds that ``immigration has 
its largest negative impact on the wage of native workers who lack a 
high school diploma, a group that makes up a modest . . . share of the 
workforce. These workers are among the poorest Americans.''
  Who do American workers compete against for jobs? Per a 2010 Pew 
Hispanic Center study, 7.8 million illegal aliens hold jobs in America. 
That's 7.8 million job opportunities that would be opening up for 
American workers if the President would enforce Federal immigration 
laws.
  The way to help our blue-collar and low-wage workers is not to flood 
the market with illegal aliens. The way to help America's blue-collar 
and low-wage workers is by denying American jobs to illegal aliens, 
thus forcing blue-collar wages up and helping workers and their 
families pursue the American Dream.
  Mr. Speaker, we must return American jobs to American citizens. The 
White House and Congress should be fighting for American jobs for 
American citizens, not jobs for illegal aliens.
  Mr. Speaker, I cannot, in good conscience, ratify illegal conduct 
with my vote, and I hope other elected officials in Washington will 
represent Americans seeking jobs, not foreigners illegally on American 
soil.

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