CEO-Backed Immigration Bill Would Depress U.S. Wages (Sen. Bernie Sanders)

I am sympathetic to the goal of strengthening our borders and holding employers accountable when they hire illegal immigrants. I also believe that we must develop a path to citizenship for the 12 million illegal immigrants already in the United States. What most concerns me about this legislation are the provisions that would bring low-wage workers into this country in order to depress the wages of American workers, which are already in decline. With poverty increasing and the middle-class shrinking, we must not force American workers into even more economic distress.

The CEOs who want this bill aren’t even embarrassed by their hypocrisy. One day they shut down plants with high-skilled, well-paid American workers, and move to China where they pay desperate people 50 cents an hour. The next day, they have the nerve to come before the U.S Congress and tell us that they can’t find skilled workers to do the jobs that they need. Give me a break.