[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8888]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     IMMIGRATION REFORM EQUALS JOBS

  (Ms. WILSON of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it has been 893 days since I 
arrived in Congress, and the Republican leadership has not allowed a 
single vote on serious legislation to address our unemployment crisis; 
but there's no shortage of policies to solve this crisis.
  One of the best things we can do to create jobs is to pass 
immigration reform. When we bring undocumented workers in from the 
shadows where they're abused and paid below minimum wage, we boost 
wages for all Americans.
  A recent study by the Center for American Progress shows that 
granting legal status to undocumented workers would create up to 
159,000 jobs per year over the next 5 years. By empowering undocumented 
people to earn higher wages, immigration reform will enable people to 
spend more on food, clothing, and housing. This strengthens the 
American economy, builds our tax base, and creates jobs.
  Immigration reform is not only about justice. It's about jobs, jobs, 
jobs.

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