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Rep. Smith: Immigration Plan is Not Good for Taxpayers

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    Rep. Lamar Smith, (R-Texas), on the Senate’s immigration plan.

  • Duration 5:11
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-- pay back taxes they have to have a non criminal record they have to learn English they have to be able to.

Understand and study our history.

They have to get in line behind every one else.

There will be granted legal status but -- they get behind every one else who has waited legally for green cars card status.

That's Senator John McCain defending a new bipartisan plan in congress to give eleven million illegal immigrants in the US a path to citizenship.

But Texas Republican congressman.

Is that this plants have the whole lot like embassy on thinking like this when -- you don't like that bill.

Why.

-- that this is -- same plan we saw several years ago with the same individuals involved so there's no surprise here that.

They -- amnesty before and they favored amnesty now but my real concern with this plan is quite frankly it's going to cost taxpayers.

Millions of dollars because they're gonna have to foot the bill for government benefits going to these individuals were legalize it's gonna cost the American worker.

Thousands of jobs when they have to compete with individuals who they haven't had to compete with before -- gonna drive down their wages.

And of course is going to encourage illegal immigration because people are gonna figure.

I had to do is get into the country and and I can suddenly become eligible for this amnesty so to me -- going the wrong direction we ought to be enforcing immigration laws.

Not rewarding those who break them.

So essentially -- that it.

It's at that in this is basically amnesty 2.0.

-- sort of the president Reagan's plan you know amnesty now enforcement later what do you make of that.

Right that's exactly what this isn't as far as enforcement provisions go.

They're relying upon this administration who is not been enforcing immigration laws to suddenly.

Decide they are going to enforce immigration laws.

And other side that the enforcement provisions are always gonna be -- court meanwhile the amnesty provisions will be implemented immediately.

This may be good for citizens of other countries but it's not good for American taxpayers and it's not good for American workers.

So the path to citizenship I mean I think the hard working American taxpayer other thing.

Hey wait a second I play by the rules might family were immigrants my family did it legally.

And now you just essentially saying this path to citizenship.

-- a fear is that we've got eleven million or more illegal immigrants and here I acing your thinking that that could open the door to even more illegal immigrants coming in the door.

Who right and this is really a little bit of an insult to the legal immigrants who are in our country and the would be immigrants who are waiting to come and because basically saying.

You -- by the -- if you wait your turn.

And you instead we're gonna reward individuals who cut in front of the line you know violated our immigration laws.

You why should anybody ever wait in line again why couldn't they just come into this country illegally.

And so it is going to encourage illegal immigration and individuals who figure they get in and get rewarded and get these -- federal benefits and state benefits and local benefits and jobs.

Why wouldn't they continue to come in -- illegally so I don't see it.

Slowing illegal immigration I see it actually encouraging illegal immigration and as I say what message.

Does -- send the individuals who have been playing by the rules and it says that they should have violated rules like these individuals who are going to get rewarded so that's not the right message to send.

You know I wonder -- you know about the federal benefits because that's certainly concerns you know that taxpayer money in space -- going -- the -- toward people who don't pay taxes into the system like get that part of the argument.

What's interesting to serve is it jobs side of it and now I understand you know the the illegal immigrant does take the low what -- Low wage jobs and maybe Americans don't want but -- -- should even be part of the debate let me back up.

We see illegal immigrants really not so much coming to California and New York they're going into really starts stingy states when it comes the federal benefits like.

Arkansas Tennessee Utah so are they coming here for the jobs that Americans don't -- how does that factor into the.

Debate here right.

-- we certainly do need to have a guest worker program there are some sectors of -- kind particularly the ad industry who need.

Foreign workers who need guest workers but that's entirely different from saying.

To everyone in the country illegally we're gonna -- -- interest that is were going to give you amnesty so we needed we need some targeted programs.

But to allow individuals to come in and compete with unemployed Americans.

I mean for example the unemployment rate among Hispanics is way -- -- the national averages.

Why do we want to allow individuals to come and and compete with individuals who can't find jobs why we -- individuals millions of people that suddenly get a legalized status.

And that's going to drive down the wages almost every credible study shows that wages are down about 2000 dollars because of competition with illegal immigrants.

And now we're saying we're gonna legalize millions more just doesn't make sense for the American worker or for the American taxpayer.

Yes -- -- guest worker program where we can demonstrate the need for individuals whose work we embrace.

But not to millions of individuals -- -- gonna unnecessarily compete with American work.

-- right representative Lamar Smith of Texas thank you -- times are really pleasure to have him on the show.

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