The Washington Times
The Senate yesterday voted to preserve a guest-worker program as part of the immigration "grand bargain," in the first test of the bipartisan coalition that is backing the bill.
The vote went straight to the heart of the debate over jobs and competition between immigrants and American workers.
"How about paying a decent wage? You'll find plenty of people to take these jobs," said Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, North Dakota Democrat. He spearheaded an amendment to eliminate the guest-worker program, which would allow 400,000 temporary workers in the first year and could, Mr. Dorgan said, allow 3.6 million workers in by the 10th year.
He said the program bore "the handprint of those who want to bring in additional cheap labor" and keep wages low.
Posted by tyne at May 23, 2007