ast week, Republican leaders in the House of Representatives published their immigration standards—a set of principles to guide debate about immigration in the House. This is a critical first step to fixing our broken immigration system.
The Senate bill, which passed last year with the support of both senators from my home state, Illinois, provides more money for border security, allows immigrants already here to work, expands visa programs and establishes an arduous 13-year path to citizenship.
The House will act in its own way, as it should. But it should act soon. Immigration reform will make our economy stronger and our country more secure.
The whole formula for immigration reform can fall into place if two basic issues are solved. First, securing our borders so we know who is entering our country and for what purpose. Second, a legalization of those folks who are already here, many of whom have been here for a decade or more. In addition, we should provide them with a path to citizenship much like any other immigrant would have. Those two things being satisfied, I believe immigration reform can move forward.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, immigration reform would increase U.S. GDP by 5.4 percent ($1.2 trillion) over the next 20 years, while jump-starting the housing recovery by dramatically increasing the demand for housing units. A report by the Bipartisan Policy Center found that immigration reform would also shave more than $1.2 trillion off the federal deficit over 20 years.
The cost of inaction is high. For example, the science and technology industry is growing so rapidly that, on our current course, by 2018 there will be a shortage of 200,000 qualified people to fill key positions, the Partnership for a New American Economy, a group of mayors and business leaders who support immigration reform, estimates. In the agricultural field, 75 percent of hired agricultural workers in the United States are foreign-born, and according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, over the long haul a decrease in available immigrant labor could reduce U.S. agricultural output and exports even as the demand for food is growing. According to a 2011 survey conducted by the consulting firm Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute (part of the National Association of Manufacturers), U.S. manufacturing companies could not fill 600,000 open positions for skilled workers on a daily basis even with unemployment hovering close to 9 percent at the time.
The politicians do NOT give a crap about the "cost of inaction" as long as it is not politically motivated. Their one and only goal is to use the issue for two years before the election and then the next two years for the next election cycle etc. Obama administration better announce the renewal process for DACA otherwise there will be a lot of nervous folks. January's gone already..
