John Conyers

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, to close the debate on our side, I yield the balance of my time to the distinguished gentleman from New York [Mr. Schumer] who opened this debate.

Mr. CONYERS. I yield 15 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from Florida [Mr. Deutsch].

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. CONYERS. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I urge opposition to this amendment.

Mr. CONYERS. I would ask the gentleman, a little bit what?

Mr. CONYERS. The gentleman objects to the Pombo amendment more than the Goodlatte amendment, or the Goodlatte amendment more than the Pombo amendment?

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from California [Mr. Berman].

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from California, Mr. Xavier Becerra.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I would remind the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Bryant] that the nurses do not want this. I am glad the gentleman is reading the nurses' literature, but here is what the nurses union say. Recent restructuring and downsizing of hospitals and other health care facilities have caused the displacement of thousands of qualified nurses. They should be put back to work before still another program is instituted to import nurses from abroad. Dated, March 21, 1996. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from Maryland [Mrs. Morella]. (Mrs. MORELLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California [Mr. Berman], a member of the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Goodlatte amendment.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Torres]. (Mr. TORRES asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds. Mr. Chairman, I would ask the gentleman from California [Mr. Torres] whether or not his vehement opposition to Pombo is stronger than his strong opposition to Goodlatte.

Mr. CONYERS. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California [Mr. Berman].

Mr. CONYERS. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the one problem with the amendment that my friend from Virginia has not discussed is that it eliminates the requirement to provide workers with free housing. The H-2A employers must provide or pay for housing for their workers. This amendment replaces the housing provision with a housing allowance but, quote, only if housing is reasonably available in the area of employment, end quote. I find that restrictive, onerous and another sop to the growers, who probably would rejoice in having us revisit this measure as we did in 1986. I think that we have got a problem here. It is tough enough to get Americans to do this kind of labor, and to make it harder for them to get under the program by the eliminations or restrictions around the recruiting process I think is not good. I will not say it is un- American, but it sure does not help the few Americans that want to work in this very onerous area. Remember, the pay is bad, the conditions are horrible, the work is temporary. Maybe that is why we have to bring in people to work on it. So the few Americans that are willing to work in this field, I would encourage them to do so.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Why am I suspicious? The gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Goodlatte] is a wonderful human being with whom I have enjoyed a great relationship. But there are little problems. Housing eliminates the requirement to provide workers with free housing. Then he explains, ``It's for the workers' benefit, John,'' not to worry. Reduces the required time to recruit domestic workers. ``That will help Americans, so don't worry about that.'' Eliminates the 50-percent rule. ``No problem,'' he says. Eliminates the three-fourths guarantee. Good explanation for it. What I am beginning to think, this is a great solution in search of a problem. And I will tell the gentleman, there is another little nervous provision in here from my point of view. The certification of the workers goes from the Department of Labor to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Does that raise a red light with anybody in this body besides me? One other person, a few more. Look, INS is particularly unqualified to make labor certifications. They are looking for people who do not belong here. So these things, I would say to the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Goodlatte], make me reluctant to be enthusiastic about this amendment. As a matter of fact, it does not lead me to the strong opposition of the gentleman from California [Mr. Torres], or the vehement opposition that he had on Pombo, but I cannot support it. I think that the arguments presented by our resident expert on the Committee on the Judiciary, the gentleman from California [Mr. Berman], are overwhelming and persuasive. Mr. Chairman, I urge defeat of this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS. No, sir, I do not.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I seek time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I congratulate my colleague on the Committee on the Judiciary, the gentleman from Texas, [Mr. Bryant], for an incredibly diligent job. The motion here to recommit with the amendment may be the most important vote we may consider this year from the perspective of the American worker, because it puts before us the identical immigration reform bill, with just one exception, and here it is: that American companies should attempt to recruit American workers for skilled jobs before trying to recruit foreign workers for these jobs. That is what it is about, that is all it is about. The administration has produced a record of 8 million new jobs. Some of the Republican candidates, by contrast, or one in particular is still figuring out that jobs is a major issue with Americans. It translates here into the GOP leadership. The Rules Committee blocked this amendment and so we are bringing it up now in a motion to recommit. Please support this motion to recommit whether you are a Republican or a Democrat.