Jeff Sessions - The GOP Should Stand With Struggling Workers Not Illegal Aliens

Senator Jeff Sessions

• "We need to move Americans off of welfare and into good-paying jobs—not replace them with lower-wage workers from abroad."  - - - Jeff Sessions

Senator Jeff Sessions (R., Ala.), ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee and a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, came to the defense of American workers this week:

“The arguments compiled by FWD.us pushing for a massive surge in new workers from abroad have ignored the overwhelming literature, including broad research by the Congressional Budget Office, demonstrating that such a plan would reduce wages and job prospects for millions of struggling workers living here today. 

The White House and Senate Democrats have embraced a plan that not only allows illegal immigration to continue indefinitely, but proposes to double the flow of new legal immigrant workers and triple the number of mostly lesser-skilled immigrants who will be given green cards. Unfortunately, it seems several House leaders are contemplating a similar approach.  

We need to move Americans off of welfare and into good-paying jobs—not replace them with lower-wage workers from abroad. Gene Sperling has said there are three jobseekers for every one job opening. Has anyone asked the American people whether they want these large increases to current record immigration levels now being proposed? 

Lawmakers must decide who they represent: immigration activists and powerful interests, or millions of struggling and unemployed Americans. Republicans have an opportunity to stand alone as the one party dutifully representing the legitimate interests of the American worker. They should seize it. They should boldly and unapologetically articulate policies that end the lawlessness and advance the national interest.”

(National Review)

It's bad politics, Jeff Sessions writes. "In the rush to pass an immigration bill, there has been a near absence of any serious thought about the conditions facing American workers. The last 40 years has been a period of record immigration to the U.S., with the last 10 years seeing more new arrivals than any prior 10- year period in history. This trend has coincided with wage stagnation, enormous growth in welfare programs, and a shrinking workforce participation rate. A sensible, conservative approach would focus on lifting those living here today, both immigrant and native-born, out of poverty and into the middle class—before doubling or tripling the level of immigration into the U.S."

"A sensible immigration policy would also listen to the opinion of the American people. Not the opinions of the paid-for consultants trotted out with their agenda-driven polls to GOP member meetings—but the actual, honest opinion of the people who sent us here. There is a reason why none of the corporate-funded ads for amnesty breathe a word about doubling immigration levels. According to Rasmussen Reports, working and middle class Americans strongly oppose large expansions of our already generous immigration system. Those earning under $30,000 prefer a reduction to an increase by an overwhelming 3-1 margin."

(Weekly Standard)

The GOP could fight for American workers
instead of doing the bidding of Corporations
that want to flood the market with cheap labor.