[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 22 (Monday, June 5, 2006)]
[Pages 1055-1062]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the United States Chamber of Commerce

June 1, 2006

    Thank you all. I told Michael to keep it short--[laughter]--and he 
did. Thanks for having me. Speaking about short, it's a short commute 
from where I work and live to this place. Thanks for having me, Tom.
    I'm honored to be back here at the Chamber. I'm proud to be with 
some of America's finest entrepreneurs, job creators, risk-takers. And 
I'm also proud to be with leaders from the national Citizen Corps. I 
thank you all for joining us today. I thank you for representing the 
true strength of America, which are those who are willing to volunteer 
in our communities to make the country a better place. We got people 
from the Citizen Corps

[[Page 1056]]

from all different backgrounds--from business associations to government 
agencies, to community groups, to schools, to non-profits, to advocates 
for the disabled, and emergency responders.
    Citizen Corps is making a significant difference in our country. 
When the hurricanes hit our gulf coast last year, members of the Citizen 
Corps played a critical role in the relief efforts. I want to thank you 
for answering the call to service. Congress needs to provide the Citizen 
Corps with the funding you need to keep our communities safe and 
prepared for emergencies.
    Today I want to talk about immigration, talk about the need for this 
country to have a comprehensive immigration reform. I'm going to spend a 
little time on making sure that workforce enforcement is effective and 
an integral part of making sure we have a comprehensive immigration 
reform.
    Before I do, I want to thank the Chamber very much for your strong 
advocacy of comprehensive immigration reform. I want to thank you and I 
want to thank your members for being an articulate, rational voice in 
the immigration debate.
    I want to thank Chertoff for his service to our country--excuse me--
Secretary Chertoff. Sometimes if you're from west Texas, you get a 
little familiar. [Laughter] Still adjusting to the protocols here in 
Washington. [Laughter] Of course, he knew what I was talking about.
    I want to thank Ralph Basham, the Commissioner of the U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection. Thank you for being here, Ralph. Thanks for your 
service. Ralph ran the Secret Service so ably, did such a fine job, I 
asked him to serve in this capacity. And he'll do a fine job there.
    I want to thank David Aguilar. He's the Chief of the U.S. Border 
Patrol. David, it's good to see you. David and I recently went down to 
the border, and we took a good look at this long border. It gave me a 
chance to see firsthand what's taking place down there. It also gave me 
a chance to thank the Border Patrol agents, men and women who are 
working every day to do our job. And I want to thank you for your 
leadership.
    I thank Julie Myers, Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and 
Customs Enforcement. I want to thank Tracy Henke, Assistant Secretary, 
Office of Grants and Training for DHS. She is the chair of the National 
Citizen Corps Council. And again, thank you all for letting me come by.
    One of the jobs of the Government is to encourage entrepreneurship. 
We've done so in this administration, and as a result, America's risk-
takers are--and businessowners, both small and large, are hiring people. 
If you want a job in America, you can find a job in America. This 
economy of ours is growing, at 3.5 percent last year, 5.3 percent in the 
first quarter of this year. The national unemployment rate is 4.7 
percent; 5.2 million new jobs have been created since August of 2003. 
Small businesses are flourishing; productivity is high; after-tax income 
is up; homeownership is at an alltime level. This economy of the United 
States is strong, and we intend to keep it that way.
    And the U.S. Chamber has been a strong supporter in making sure that 
Congress has sensible policies to keep this economy strong. And one of 
the most sensible things the United States Congress can do is to make 
the tax cuts we passed permanent. You'll hear talk in Washington that 
says, ``Well, you've got to raise taxes on people in order to balance 
the budget.'' That's not how Washington works. They're going to raise 
your taxes, and they're going to figure out new ways to spend your 
money. The best way to balance this budget is to keep progrowth economic 
policies in place and be fiscally wise about how we spend your money.
    Progrowth economic policies generate additional revenues for our 
Treasury. Last year, revenues exceeded expectations by about $100 
billion. This July, we're going to find out whether it happened again. I 
hope it does. I think it might, because we're growing this economy. When 
the economy grows, people pay taxes. And so the fundamental question is 
not whether or not we're going to have more revenues; the fundamental 
question is if we're going to have rational spending in order to balance 
this budget.
    I told the United States Congress to get a $92.2 billion 
supplemental to my desk. It's money needed to fund our troops. It's 
money needed to help the people down there in--that we're affected by 
the hurricanes. It's

[[Page 1057]]

money to do important other measures. But if they bust the 92.2, I'm 
going to veto it. It's important for Washington to have fiscal sanity in 
order to balance this budget.
    The fundamental question facing this country is, do we fear the 
future or do we intend to shape it? I intend to shape the future so 
America remains the economic leader in the world, which means we've got 
to have a good legal policy. I want to thank the Chamber for being on 
the leading edge opposing--and enabling me to sign meaningful tort 
reform. We don't need junk lawsuits running good people out of business. 
We don't need junk lawsuits running good doctors out of practice. What 
this country needs is a rational legal system that is fair and balanced. 
So I'm going to continue to work for tort reform in the Halls of 
Congress.
    We need a health care system that takes care of the elderly and the 
poor, but also recognizes that the best health care system is one in 
which the decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats 
right here in Washington, DC.
    We need energy policy that's wise. We got a problem in America: 
We're too dependent on oil from parts of the world where people may not 
necessarily like us. So I proposed an Advanced Energy Initiative, and I 
want to thank the Chamber for supporting me on helping this country 
diversify away from hydrocarbons.
    Today I want to talk about immigration, because the Chamber of 
Commerce understands that in order for this country to be an economic 
leader, in order for this country to be a country that upholds our 
values, we've got to have an immigration system that is secure and 
orderly and fair.
    For decades, this country has not been in control of its borders. 
Yet we have an obligation to the American people to secure our borders. 
That's a solemn obligation of the Federal Government. And as a result of 
not securing our borders, many who want to work in this economy have 
been able to sneak across.
    This is an issue I'm familiar with, since I was the Governor of 
Texas. You got to understand, there are people in our neighborhood who 
are desperate to put food on the table for their families. And if they, 
say, make $7 in America versus 50 cents where they live, and they want 
to support their families, guess what? They're going to try to sneak 
across the border. And many have been able to do so. And that illegal 
immigration has put pressure on our schools and hospitals; it's strained 
State and local budgets; and in some instances, bring crime to our 
neighborhood.

    Yet we have got to remember that the vast majority of illegal 
immigrants are decent people. They're hardworking people. They're people 
who love their families, people of faith, and people who lead 
responsible lives. They're part of American life, and they are vital to 
our economy, and yet they're beyond the reach and protection of American 
law.

    This Nation is a nation of laws. And we're going to enforce our 
laws. That's what the American people expect. But we're also a nation of 
immigrants. And we must uphold that tradition, which has strengthened 
this Nation in so many ways. These aren't contradictory goals. America 
can be a lawful society and America can be a welcoming society at the 
same time.

    Congress is moving forward on immigration reform. The House started 
this debate by passing a bill that focuses on border security and 
interior enforcement. Then the Senate had its debate, and it passed a 
comprehensive bill that also includes a temporary-worker program and a 
plan to resolve the status of illegal immigrants who are already in this 
country. And now the two versions must be worked out in a conference 
committee.

    The House and Senate bills will require effort and compromise on 
both sides. It's a difficult task, yet the difficulty of this task is no 
excuse for avoiding it. The American people expect us to meet our 
responsibility and deliver immigration reform that fixes the problems in 
the current system, that upholds our ideals and provides a fair and 
practical way forward.

    The United States Congress needs to pass a comprehensive bill, one 
that will accomplish five objectives. First, a comprehensive reform bill 
must help us secure our borders.

[[Page 1058]]

The border should be open to trade and lawful immigration and shut to 
illegal immigrants as well as criminals, drug dealers, and terrorists.
    Since I became President, we've increased funding for border 
security by 66 percent. We've expanded the Border Patrol from about 
9,000 to 12,000 agents. As I told the folks down there, David, in Yuma, 
I am proud of the Border Patrol, and so should the American people. Do 
you realize that over the past 5 years, the men and women of the Border 
Patrol, working under incredibly difficult circumstances, have 
apprehended and sent home about 6 million people entering this county 
illegally. There's some people working hard down there on our behalf.
    Despite the progress, despite the fact that they've turned back 6 
million people in 5 years, we don't have full control of this border. 
And I'm determined to change that. I called on Congress to provide 
funding for dramatic improvements in manpower and technology on the 
border. And so by the end of 2008, we'll increase the number of Border 
Patrol agents by an additional 6,000. In other words, we will have 
doubled the size of the Border Patrol during my Presidency.
    That's not going to be enough to do our job of securing the border. 
That's what you've got to understand. And so these Border Patrol agents 
need help. And the best way to help the Border Patrol is to construct 
high-tech fences in urban areas, urban corridors, to build patrol roads 
and barriers in rural areas. We're going to create a virtual fence that 
employs motion detectors and infrared cameras and unmanned aerial 
vehicles to detect and prevent illegal crossings. What I'm telling you 
is that we're going to have a border that is smart and secure.
    And the best way to do that is to have Border Patrol agents, and 
then give them the most advanced technology so they can do their job. 
Training thousands of new Border Patrol agents and deploying the most 
advanced technology is going to take time. Yet the need to secure this 
border is urgent. And so I'm acting. This month, National Guard units 
will deploy to the border to set up headquarters that will help 
coordinate Guard operations that will support the Border Patrol. In 
other words, we'll be training 6,000 additional agents, but in the 
meantime, I'm going to send 6,000 National Guard down there. These 
forces are the first of 6,000 members that are going to assist the 
Border Patrol. They're going to operate surveillance systems and analyze 
intelligence, and install fences and vehicle barriers, and build patrol 
roads, and provide training. In other words, they're going to be a 
complement to the Border Patrol.
    The Guard units will not be involved in direct law enforcement 
activities. That's the job of the Border Patrol. The United States is 
not going to militarize our border. What we're going to do is support 
those who we hire to do the job of enforcing the border.
    As new Border Patrol agents and technologies come on line, the Guard 
forces are going to be reduced. The Federal Government is working to 
conclude formal agreements with California and Arizona and New Mexico 
and Texas that will define the roles and responsibilities of National 
Guard units deploying to the southern border. We're going to work 
closely with the Governors of those States to secure this border. Also 
in touch with the chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Blum, to 
make sure that we get those 6,000 Guard down there to help the Border 
Patrol do their job.
    I also recognize the role of local and State enforcement authorities 
to help David and his people do the job. And so we'll increase Federal 
funding for State and local authorities assisting our Border Patrol on 
targeted enforcement missions; as well, we're going to give specialized 
training to certain State and local folks so they can complement the 
Border Patrol.
    One of the problems we have down there is, we got people working 
hard to find people, and in some instances, they apprehend somebody; 
then they head right into our society. That's frustrating for the Border 
Patrol agents. We got people working long, long hours down there, and 
they catch somebody sneaking into our country, and they say, ``Hey, go 
over here to this legal proceeding, and since the courts are full, just 
check back with us in 45 days.'' The problem is, a lot of people who 
want to put food on the table

[[Page 1059]]

or want to do other things don't check back. That's a program that needs 
to end.
    See, most of the people we catch at the border trying to enter 
illegally are Mexicans, and 85 percent of them are sent right back home 
within 24 hours. But the real problem we've had is when we catch illegal 
immigrants from other countries trying to come in. It's easy to send 
people back into Mexico; it's hard to send somebody to a country south 
of Mexico, for example.
    One of the problems we've had, is, we didn't have enough detention 
space. So we've got the Border Patrol agents working hard; they catch 
somebody from a country other than Mexico coming into our country, and 
there's no place to put them. And so part of our strategy is to end 
catch-and-release by expanding the number of beds in detention 
facilities along the border. We've added some, and we're going to add 
more. We're going to add enough to be able to end catch-and-release.
    We've also expedited the legal process to cut the average 
deportation time. I've been in touch, as has my administration, with 
foreign Governments, where we tell them, ``You got to take your citizens 
back. When we catch one of your citizens coming in, you have an 
obligation to take that person back into your society.'' We've ended 
catch-and-release for illegal immigrants from the key Central American 
countries; now Congress needs to provide additional funding and legal 
authority so we can end catch-and-release at the southern border once 
and for all.
    The strategy is this: We're going to enforce our border. When we 
catch you, we're going to send you home--so that the message is very 
clear, and that is, you're going to be sent home if we catch you, 
illegally, which means don't try to come in in the first place, 
illegally.
    Second, in order to have a comprehensive reform bill, we have to 
have a temporary-worker program. Part of securing this border is a 
temporary-worker program. You see, there are people who will do anything 
to come into this country to work. That's what you got to understand. 
People are motivated by a desire, in many cases--in most cases, to 
support the family. I used to tell people in Texas, family values do not 
stop at the Rio Grande. And so, therefore, it shouldn't surprise you 
when people hike across the hot desert to--and risking their lives to 
come and work or are willing to get stuffed in the back of an 18-wheeler 
to come and do a job others won't do here in America.
    The fact that people are willing to take those risks puts enormous 
pressure on our border, so much pressure that walls and patrols aren't 
going to stop it. In other words, you got people saying, ``I'll do 
anything to come and work; just give me a chance.'' And we can put up--
we can have a lot of patrols and a lot of walls, and it's not going to 
stop that flow. It will put a dent in it. But if the job is to secure 
this border, it seems like to me, we got to stop the number of people 
who are trying to sneak across in the first place. And the best way to 
do that is to make a temporary-worker program a part of immigration 
reform. Program would create a legal path for foreign workers to enter 
this country in an orderly way for a limited period of time. It would 
match willing foreign workers with willing American employers for jobs 
Americans are not doing.
    Every worker who applies for the program would be required to pass a 
criminal background check. Temporary workers must return to their homes 
at the conclusion of their stay. A temporary-worker program would meet 
the legitimate needs of American employers, and it would give an honest 
immigrant a chance to contribute to our economy and, at the same time, 
provide for their families. A temporary-worker program would reduce the 
appeal of human smugglers and make it less likely people would have to 
risk their lives to cross this border. A temporary-worker program would 
ease the financial burden on State and local Governments by replacing 
illegal workers with lawful taxpayers. And above all, the temporary-
worker program would add to the security of this country by making 
certain we know who is coming into this country and why they're here.
    Third, a comprehensive reform bill must hold employers to account 
for the workers they hire. It is against the law to hire someone who is 
in this country illegally. Those are the laws of the United States of 
America, and they must be upheld.

[[Page 1060]]

    To ensure our laws are enforced, we've increased funding for 
immigration enforcement inside this country by 42 percent since I took 
office. Last year, I signed a bill that doubled Federal resources for 
worksite enforcement. We've launched law enforcement task forces in 11 
major cities to dismantle criminal rings that are producing fake 
documents. Not only do we have a whole industry that's evolved to 
smuggle people in--you ever hear of the word coyote, these are these 
folks that are willing to use human life as a commodity, to make money 
off of somebody. We've also got document forgers too. See, there's a 
whole industry that's sprung up as a result of enforcement--an 
immigration system that isn't working. And so we're out to bust those 
document forgers.
    Most American businesses want to abide by the law. Many are unable 
to determine whether their workers are legal, however, because of this 
document fraud. Today, there's an industry that's making these IDs and 
fraudulent Social Security numbers. See, American employers who check 
these documents often discover that the names of their workers don't 
match their Social Security numbers. So then we've got people trying to 
verify, doing what they're expected to do under the law. But when this 
happens, the employer receives a ``no match'' letter from the Social 
Security Administration, yet under current law, the immigration 
enforcement agents at the Department of Homeland Security are not 
informed of these mismatches. The system isn't working.
    See, we need to address problems and ensure that agents can enforce 
the law. Businessowners should not have to act as detectives to verify 
the legal status of their workers. And so the Federal Government has the 
responsibility to ensure that businesses have a clear and reliable way 
to check work documents. We have that responsibility. If we expect 
people to adhere to the law that you're not supposed to hire somebody 
illegally, we have a responsibility here in Washington, DC, to help you 
verify documents.
    One thing we've done is, we've launched what's called Basic Pilot. 
Basic Pilot is a voluntary online verification system that allows 
employers to confirm the eligibility of new hires by checking the 
information they provide against Federal databases. If there's a 
mismatch, the applicant then has 8 working days to contest the finding. 
By giving employers a quick and practical way to verify Social Security 
numbers, Basic Pilot gives employers confidence that their workers are 
legal, improves the accuracy of wage and tax reporting, and helps ensure 
that those who obey our laws are not undercut by illegal workers.
    Basic Pilot, just a while ago, was only available in six States; now 
it's nationwide. As I told you, the program is optional. And the truth 
of the matter is, most employers do not participate. Now, the House and 
the Senate immigration bills would require employers to use Basic Pilot. 
I think this is sensible. I think if we want to enforce our laws, people 
ought to be required to check to see whether or not names and numbers 
match. Homeland Security, by the way, in order for it to work, needs 
more money to make sure that the program is up and running.
    Now, the other thing we need to do besides good verification 
procedures is to develop a new identification card for every legal 
foreign worker. The card should be tamper-proof. It ought to use 
biometric technology such as digital fingerprints. We got the technology 
to do this. It makes sense to have somebody who's going to be here 
legally, working on a temporary basis, to have a card that will allow 
American employers to know that the foreign job applicant is who he or 
she says she is, or he is. A tamper-proof card is going to be a vital 
tool to enforce the law, and it's got to be a part of a comprehensive 
immigration reform package.
    Improving enforcement for immigration laws also requires stiffening 
the penalties for those violating the laws. Today, the fine for a 
business that fails to check an employee's ID can be as low as $100. You 
might as well pay a speeding ticket. A penalty for knowingly hiring an 
illegal immigrant can be as low as $250 and can't exceed $2,000. These 
low penalties, frankly, provide little incentive for dishonest 
businesses to obey the law. And so we're going to increase the 
penalties. If we want to be smart about worksite enforcement, we got to 
say to somebody who's breaking the law, ``There's going to be a cost,

[[Page 1061]]

and it's more than $250.'' And so the fines need to be larger.
    The whole point and purpose of what I've just described to you is to 
assure the American people that we've got a plan in place that says to 
the employers, this is going to help you determine whether or not who 
you're hiring should be here in the first place. Secondly, it's going to 
help get rid of document fraud. I repeat, we don't want our employers 
becoming document experts. That's not their--they're trying to get a job 
done.
    And thirdly, we want to make sure that when we catch you, there's a 
consequence. You know, most American businesses are law-abiding. They 
really do want to uphold the law. They understand there's a 
responsibility to be an American, and that is, to uphold the laws of the 
land. And yet we've got to recognize there are some unscrupulous folks 
who want to take advantage of low-cost labor. Illegal workers can be 
paid less than the market rate, see. And guess what? When you're illegal 
and you're worried about being detected, you can be exploited. And 
that's not the American way. We don't like people living in the shadows 
of our society. We're a nation of the rule of law, and we want people to 
be treated with respect. And so people who--businesses that knowingly 
employ illegal workers undermine this law and undermine the spirit of 
America. And we're not going to tolerate it in this country.
    Fourthly, a comprehensive reform bill has got to address the reality 
that millions of illegal immigrants are here already. Now, these folks 
should not be given an automatic path to citizenship. That is called 
amnesty. I oppose amnesty. I opposed amnesty because it would be unfair 
to those people who are here lawfully, and I oppose amnesty because it 
would invite further waves of illegal immigrants.
    One of the difficult tasks before the House and the Senate is 
deciding how American law will treat the illegal immigrants now in our 
country. Some Members of Congress argue that no one who came to this 
country illegally should be allowed to continue living and working in 
our country and that any plan that allows them to stay equals amnesty, 
no matter how many conditions we impose. Listen, I appreciate the 
Members are acting on deeply felt principles; I understand that. Yet I 
also believe that the approach they suggest is wrong and unrealistic. 
There's a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to 
citizenship for every illegal immigrant and a program that requires 
every illegal immigrant to leave. The middle ground recognizes there are 
differences between an illegal immigrant who crossed the border 
recently, and someone who has worked here for many years who's got a 
home, a family, and a clean record.
    My position is clear: I believe that illegal immigrants who have 
roots in our country and who want to stay should have to pay a 
meaningful penalty for breaking the law, to pay their taxes, to learn 
English, and to work in a job for a number of years. People who meet 
these conditions should be eventually permitted to apply for citizenship 
like other foreign workers. But approval would not be automatic. They 
would have to wait in line behind those who played by the rules and 
followed the law. This isn't amnesty. It is a practical and reasonable 
way for those who have broken the law to pay their debt to society and 
demonstrate the character that makes a good citizen.
    Fifth, a comprehensive bill must honor the great American tradition 
of the melting pot, which has made us one Nation out of many peoples. 
This debate is an interesting debate. It gets quite emotional, and 
sometimes, an emotion--in all the emotions, we forget we are a land of 
immigrants. Success of this country has depended and will depend upon 
helping newcomers assimilate into our society, and help folks embrace 
our common identity as Americans.
    Americans are bound together by our shared ideals: an appreciation 
of our history; respect for the flag we fly; and an ability to speak and 
write the English language. As businessowners and community leaders, you 
know that English is the key to unlocking the opportunity of America. 
See, English allows a newcomer to go from picking crops to opening a 
grocery store. English allows a newcomer from sweeping an office floor 
to running that office. English allows someone to go from a low-paying 
job to a diploma, a career, and homeownership. When immigrants 
assimilate and advance in our society,

[[Page 1062]]

they realize their dreams. And as they do, they renew our spirit, and 
they add to the unity of our country.
    As the Chamber, you appreciate the great contributions immigrants 
have made to America's freedom and prosperity, and you know their 
importance for the future of this Nation. And so you're helping this 
country reach consensus by conducting the debate on immigration in a 
reasoned and respectful tone. And I appreciate that a lot.
    I urge our fellow citizens to understand that harsh language, 
unnecessary politics, sends the wrong message about who we are as a 
nation. I appreciate the fact you're working for an immigration bill 
that is comprehensive. That makes a lot of sense, because you know that 
all the elements of this problem must be addressed together or none of 
them will be solved at all.
    Throughout our long history, America has prospered because we 
welcome people who abided by our laws and worked hard and raised their 
families and trusted in the Almighty. I believe we must be guided by 
that history as we reform our immigration system. I trust in our 
country's genius for making us all Americans, one Nation under God. And 
I'm confident that the United States Congress will do its duty and pass 
an immigration bill that secures our borders, strengthens our laws, and 
upholds the promise of the United States of America.
    May God bless you all.

Note: The President spoke at 8:50 a.m. at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 
In his remarks, he referred to Secretary of Homeland Security Michael 
Chertoff, who introduced him; Thomas J. Donohue, president and chief 
executive officer, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and Lt. Gen. H. Steven 
Blum, chief, National Guard Bureau. The Office of the Press Secretary 
also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.