Mooers Musings
America Awaits Senate Debate on Immigration Reform Bill
Debate to Begin on Monday, June 10
On Monday, June 10, the United States Senate is expected to begin debate on the “Gang of Eight” Immigration Reform bill. This week the news on immigration reform has mostly been about various constituencies on both the Right and Left gearing up for battle.
Neither the Right nor the Left is fully on-board with the bill that passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, which may in fact be the bill’s strongest feature. Each likes some aspects of the legislation, and finds other parts of it reprehensible. Some on the Right continues to complain about any path to citizenship, and will likely never be satisfied until everyone with immigration status problems is forced to leave the country. On the Left, pro-labor and others are complaining about guest worker provisions they consider too liberal, and marriage/family provisions that they believe are too restrictive (i.e. lack of recognition of same sex marriage in the bill).
The debate in the Senate Judiciary Committee was civilized, bipartisan, constructive and thoughtful – adjectives that few Americans normally use when describing Congress.
Obtaining the same high level of debate will likely not be possible on the Senate floor, as Senators make statements not just to one another, but to hundreds of thousands (indeed millions) of American via C-Span. Senators will likely feel the need to appeal to their core constituency groups, who will be listening to every work uttered determine whether the Senator is staying true to his/her Right or Left principles. Moreover, the Senate will be awash in interest groups invading Capitol Hill in person, through email, and via phone calls to their elected representatives.
Starting Monday, the proverbial rubber will hit the road. Let’s just hope that there is enough tread on the tires to keep the debate from spinning out of control.
Don Mooers
Study Result: Immigrants Actually Generate a Huge Surplus to Medicare Trust Fund
A research study published in the medical journal Health Affairs found that immigrants generated a surplus of $115.2 billion in the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund from 2002 to 2009.
That’s right – rather than acting as a burden on the system, America’s immigrants have actually been subsidizing health care in the United States.
The study found that U.S.-born Americans generated a cumulative deficit of $28.1 billion during the same period. Furthermore, the study’s data showed that non-citizen immigrants’ $10.1 billion contributions to the Medicare trust fund in 2009 accounted for the majority of total contributions in that year by immigrants.
The authors of the study explained the results as follows:
“Immigrants generate a surplus for Medicare primarily because so many of them are working-age adults and the group has a high labor-force participation rate—a combination that generates large payroll tax payments.”
This study is the first of its kind to provide data on immigrant’s contributions to the U.S. health care system. Its results offer a new perspective to the notion that immigrants are a drain to Medicare resources, suggesting instead that their contributions are critical to the program’s economic survival.
You can read the entire report about the study at:
http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/early/2013/05/20/hlthaff.2012.1223.full#published
Let us know what you think about this. Send us an e-mail to MI@Mooers.net.
Beach Resorts: Where are our J-1 Summer Workers?
Hotels, restaurants and boardwalk establishments suffered a serious staff shortage over the Memorial Day weekend as the US Government delayed approvals for J-1 exchange trainees under the State Department’s “Summer Work and Travel” program.
According to Washington, DC’s local NPR station (WAMU-88.5), a delay in the “approval of the J-1 visas for foreign student workers has caused a staff shortage at many businesses in Ocean City [MD].”
http://wamu.org/news/13/05/27/pending_visas_delay_foreign_student_workers_in_ocean_city
This is very troubling news on several fronts. First, businesses up and down the Atlantic seaboard need these foreign students to fill jobs that once were filled by American kids. Today, there are few Americans who are willing to spend the entire summer working in service jobs – they are too busy taking vacations themselves or doing something else for the summer holidays.
Second, the Summer Work and Travel J-1 visa has been a key component of America’s efforts to win long-lasting friends around the world. For decades young people have come here, enjoyed a great summer of friendship, fun and work, and then returned back home to resume school. For the rest of their lives, their unbelievable “American summer” was how they thought of the US, and our country developed friends for life through the J-1 program. With many people around the world appearing at times to hate our country, developing a cadre of international friends is all the more important.
It now appears that the J-1 Summer Work and Travel visa as a tool for friendship may be lost forever in the pending Senate Immigration Reform bill. Responsibility for the visa will go from the State Department (where cultural exchange and building networks of friends around the world matters) to the Department of Homeland Security (which is likely to greatly restrict the program and focus more on the work aspects rather than the cultural exchange), and this move could eliminate most of the long-term benefits that come from the J-1 visa.
For the summer of 2013, these J-1 students cannot come soon enough. Hopefully they will receive their visas shortly and arrive in time to help make our vacations as pleasant, relaxing and stress-free as possible.
Don Mooers
Immigration Reform as of Memorial Day
Great news out of Congress this week. The Senate Judiciary Committee gave the green light to a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill, while Speaker John Boehner “promised” that the House of Representatives will pass its own immigration reform bill. While the Speaker’s words were not the most positive, the fact that he stated that the House will pass a bill this summer was great news. The Washington Post quoted him as stating:
“We’re not going to be stampeded by the White House or stampeded by the president” […]. “The Senate is working its will, a lot of good work that’s gone on over there, but the House — the House will work its will.”
With the Memorial Day break upon us, Senators and Representatives will be back in their home states asking constituents for their opinions about a host of issues, including immigration reform. Most likely, the reports from these home visits will follow normal patterns, i.e. those who oppose immigration reform will report that their constituents hate reform, while supporters will report that their constituents urged them to pass reform.
In early June, we can look forward to:
- The full Senate will take up the immigration reform bill and exhaustively debate myriad issues, including the path to legalization, high- and low-skilled visas, E-Verify, border security, the DV lottery, and scores of others. There will be high drama as the Gang of Eight works to hold the bipartisan package together for a final vote, also expected in June.
- The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee will begin consideration of either several smaller immigration reform bills or a larger bipartisan initiative supported by a group of 4 Republicans and 4 Democrats. There is a great deal of posturing on immigration reform right now – expect the posturing to continue through June.
Immigration reform still has a long way to go.
Don Mooers
Mooers Immigration has long been engaged in Comprehensive Immigration Reform, responding to Congressional inquiries on policy and law issues. We are regularly asked to assist elected officials and their staff to understand both the benefits and consequences of various proposals for reform.
Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Senate Immigration Bill
Last night Comprehensive Immigration Reform took a dramatic step forward when the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13 to 5 to pass the Senate Immigration bill. It now moves to the full U.S. Senate for consideration. The Senate is expected to begin debate on the bill in early June.
I watched much of the debate on-line from my office, and I was extremely impressed throughout the two-week mark-up by the Senators on the Committee, particularly Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont. Senators were thoughtful, well-briefed on issues, and courteous. Senator Leahy kept the discussion moving without cutting off Senators in the debate. The Committee methodically debated over 200 amendments, thoughtfully covering topics ranging from the non-controversial (requiring multiple future GAO studies to evaluate the impact of immigration reform) to the very contentious (stripping immigrants of the right to health care and other benefits). Everyone was heard, votes were taken, and the Committee moved on to debate the next amendment.
All told, the Gang of Eight’s members of the Committee (2 Republicans and 2 Democrats) held together. They worked to provide bipartisan support (or, in many of the votes, opposition) to amendments, assisting those provisions that “strengthened” the underlying bill, and defeating those provisions that would have gutted it.
The final amendment considered by the Committee brought some of the greatest drama. Chairman Leahy introduced a provision to extend full immigration benefits to same-sex couples in those states that recognize same-sex marriages. Senator Leahy was emotional in his support of the provision, announcing plainly that he intended to have it voted upon. He then opened the amendment up for debate, first to the four Gang of Eight members on the Committee, and then to others. The feedback was virtually unanimous, with Senators on both sides predicting that the bill would go down in defeat if the provision were adopted.
Again, the debate here was courteous and compelling, with Senators on both sides of the issue clearly explaining their thoughts. Senator Lindsay Graham put it something like this: “Senator Leahy, you have me on immigration reform – you don’t have me on marriage reform.” Senator Charles Schumer emphasized his support for marriage equality, but said that if the Leahy amendment became part of the bill there would be a “defeat for immigration reform and for marriage reform.”
In the end, Senator Leahy reluctantly withdrew his amendment, clearing the path for final passage. After numerous remarks applauding the Chair, the Gang of Eight, and the Committee’s process (as well as a few remarks that provided a preview of issues that will likely come up in next month’s debate by the full Senate), the Committee passed the bill with strong bipartisan support.
Immigration Reform is not only alive, but its prospect for becoming law may be stronger than ever.
Mooers Immigration has long been engaged in Comprehensive Immigration Reform, responding to Congressional inquiries on policy and law issues. We are regularly asked to assist elected officials and their staff to understand both the benefits and consequences of various proposals for reform.
Update on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Debate
We continue our report on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s markup of the Immigration Reform bill to provide an overview of the issues debated on Monday (day four of the markup).
Monday’s session concluded the debates over Title III of the bill on interior enforcement. Among the most significant proposals passed was an amendment that would terminate asylee and refugee status for individuals who return to the county where they were persecuted unless they show good cause. The committee also passed Senator Hatch’s amendment to establish a biometric entry and exit system at airports with the highest volume of international air travel. Senator Grassley’s amendment to strike provisions of the bill that remove the 1-year asylum deadline failed by a vote of 6-12.
During yesterday’s session, the Senate Judiciary Committee also began its consideration of Title II, dealing with the legalization of 11 million undocumented immigrants. Three amendments that attempted to limit eligibility for Registered Provisional Immigrant status failed. Some of the provisions of the proposed amendments included eliminating protections for RPI-eligible individuals that are apprehended by ICE after the passage of the bill but within the RPI application period; eliminating waivers that would allow removed individuals to apply for RPI status; eliminating protections against detention or removal for RPI-eligible individuals and allowing removal of those with prior orders; requiring RPI applications to be filed electronically; and denying RPI status for misdemeanors including domestic violence, child abuse, and assault.
The committee is working to finish markup of the Immigration Reform Bill before the Memorial Day recess. It will continue consideration of amendments offered to Title II of the bill today.
Mooers Immigration has long been engaged in Comprehensive Immigration Reform, responding to Congressional inquiries on policy and law issues. We are regularly asked to assist elected officials and their staff to understand both the benefits and consequences of various proposals for reform.
Senate Judiciary Committee Debates E-Verify Provisions of the Immigration Reform Bill
Today’s blog will focus on the results of yesterday’s Senate Judiciary Committee markup of the Immigration Reform bill.
After yesterday’s session, the bill’s provisions dealing with the future hiring of unauthorized workers remained fundamentally unchanged. Among the most contentious amendments considered was a proposal by Senator Grassley to have E-Verify in place 18 months after the date of enactment. Senator Schumer noted that the proposed timeline was unrealistic, and the amendment failed by a vote of 5-13. Senator Grassley also proposed to substantially increase the 5-year maximum penalty for document fraud to a 20-year sentence. The amendment failed by a slim margin of 8-10.
Among the amendments to the interior enforcement provisions that made it out of Committee were a proposal to require annual accuracy audits to prevent a high rate of legal workers who get turned down by the system; a proposal to allow parents to limit the use of their children’s social security numbers to protect them against identity theft; and a proposal requiring USCIS to provide weekly E-Verify non-confirmation reports to ICE.
We will continue our commentary on these debates as the Committee reconvenes next Monday, May 20th.
Mooers Immigration has long been engaged in Comprehensive Immigration Reform, responding to Congressional inquiries on policy and law issues. We are regularly asked to assist elected officials and their staff to understand both the benefits and consequences of various proposals for reform.
Senate Judiciary Committee Turns Focus to Internal Enforcement
Today’s blog continues our report on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s markup of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.
This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee plowed through multiple amendments to the Immigration Reform bill. The Committee finished its consideration of amendments to the bill’s provisions related to border security and reforms to nonimmigrant visa programs. Senators from the “Gang of Eight” have remained committed to their compromise to see the bill move forward.
As the Committee continues its markup, consideration of the bill’s internal enforcement provisions will likely be a more strenuous process. Among the provisions under consideration today will be mandatory use of E-verify and employer penalties associated with employment of unauthorized foreign nationals. Provisions aimed at reducing current backlogs at immigration courts by increasing the discretion of immigration judges will also be considered.
We will continue our commentary on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s markup of the Immigration Reform bill as it has yet to consider some of the most controversial portions of the proposed legislation, including the legalization of undocumented immigrants, the elimination of the diversity visa lottery, and the elimination of immigrant visa categories for sponsorship of brothers and sisters of US citizens.
Mooers Immigration has long been engaged in Comprehensive Immigration Reform, responding to Congressional inquiries on policy and law issues. We are regularly asked to assist elected officials and their staff to understand both the benefits and consequences of various proposals for reform.
Debates on the H-1B visa provisions of the Immigration Reform bill
As a follow-up to our discussion of the Senate Immigration Reform bill and the provisions related to temporary visas for high-skilled and low-skilled workers, today’s blog will focus on the amendments proposed during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s debate of these provisions.
During yesterday’s Senate Judiciary Committee mark-up session, the Gang of Eight managed to stand behind key provisions of the immigration reform bill related to the H-1B visa program for temporary high skilled workers. The Committee took votes on amendments for both expanding and limiting the H-1B visa program. One of the amendments proposing to raise the cap to 325,000 failed by a vote of 4-14. An amendment requiring the audit of at least 1% of H-1B petitions also failed by a large margin of 2-16.
Among the amendments that did make it out of Committee was a proposal submitted by Senator Grassley requiring additional information in Internet job postings for employment required for H-1B visas, as well as Senator Hatch’s amendment to increase the labor certification fee proposed by the bill to improve STEM education and training in the United States.
We will continue to monitor the debates of the Senate Judiciary Committee as additional amendments to the H-1B visa program will be discussed tomorrow.
Mooers Immigration has long been engaged in Comprehensive Immigration Reform, responding to Congressional inquiries on policy and law issues. We are regularly asked to assist elected officials and their staff to understand both the benefits and consequences of various proposals for reform.
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