Reaction to the State of the Union: The Business Community Stands Ready
to Work Collaboratively with the Administration on Comprehensive Immigration
Reform
The business community is pleased with the comments made by President
Bush during the State of the Union regarding immigration. In addressing
and acknowledging the value of immigrant workers and noting the indispensable
contributions they make to our nation, the President stated that,
We hear claims that immigrants are somehow bad for the economy, even
though this economy could not function without them. All these are forms
of economic retreat, and they lead in the same direction: toward a stagnant
and second-rate economy. Tonight I will set out a better path: an agenda
for a nation that competes with confidence, an agenda that will raise
standards of living and generate new jobs. Americans should not fear our
economic future, because we intend to shape it.
In regard to comprehensive immigration reform, during the State of the
Union the President addressed the importance of practical reform, the impact
of reform on our nation’s economy, national security and the role of a guest
worker program. Specifically, the President stated that
Keeping America competitive requires an immigration system that upholds
our laws, reflects our values and serves the interests of our economy.
Our nation needs orderly and secure borders. To meet this goal, we must
have stronger immigration enforcement and border protection. And we must
have a rational, humane guest worker program that rejects amnesty, allows
temporary jobs for people who seek them legally, and reduces smuggling
and crime at the border.
Both statements were met with great applause and we applaud the President
for publicly acknowledging that the U.S. cannot function without immigrant
workers.
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