bi-partisan amnesty Bill to bring low-skilled immigrants to US

[MORTARDUDE]

This is full of so many holes it is laughable..but not the least bit funny.

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http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentSe...=1012571727102

Bill to bring low-skilled immigrants to US
By Christopher Swann in Washington
Published: January 21 2004 18:47 | Last Updated: January 21 2004 18:47


American businesses would more easily be able to bring low-skilled foreign workers to the US under a bill introduced on Wednesday by the democratic leader in the Senate.


The bi-partisan legislation - sponsored by Democrat Tom Daschle and Republican Chuck Hagel - echoes a proposal this month by George W. Bush, the president, for a temporary worker programme.

Mr Bush proposed moves towards legalising millions of illegal workers in the US and said he wanted to open the door to new foreign workers sought by US companies. He urged Congress to create a temporary "guest worker" system allowing employers to hire foreigners for jobs they say Americans cannot or will not do.

Mr Bush returned to the theme in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, saying his plans for immigration reform would benefit the US economy "because employers will find needed workers in an honest and orderly system".

"A temporary worker programme will help protect our homeland - allowing border patrol and law enforcement to focus on true threats to our national security," he said.

Mr Daschle, senator, said his bill aimed to provide foreign workers for jobs that would otherwise go unfilled by admitting a limited number of workers through a willing worker programme.

Experts said a consensus appeared to be building behind the idea of increasing the supply of temporary workers. An estimated 8m-12m illegal immigrants live in the US.

Employers seeking to hire a foreign worker would first have to prove no qualified US worker was available to fill the role and that they were providing the same level of wages and working conditions as a US worker.

The worker would only have a temporary right to live in the US but would be able to change employer. Immigration experts said this was necessary to ensure that workers did not become tied to a particular company and were unable to negotiate for better conditions.

"It is essential to ensure that immigrants are portable, since this is the best worker protection," said Muzzafar Chishti, an analyst at the Migration Policy Institute.

Advocates of the bill said it was more comprehensive than Mr Bush's proposal. It also aims to streamline the process for admitting immigrants, reducing the backlog of applications for family-sponsored visas.

Mr Daschle's office said it also intended to make it easier for undocumented immigrants already living in the US to become "stakeholders in the economy" - provided that they had passed security and criminal background checks.

They would also be required to pay a fine of $1,000 and demonstrate a knowledge of English.