The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, representing some of the nation’s largest multinational corporations, is supporting an amnesty for millions of illegal aliens introduced by Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL) and other lawmakers.
On Tuesday, amid record levels of illegal immigration, Salazar joined Reps. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R- OR), Kathy Manning (D-NC) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) to present an updated version of his amnesty plan that failed to gain traction last year.
The Chamber of Commerce, a Salazar donor, hailed the foreign visa amnesty and expansion as a victory for big business seeking to inflate the U.S. labor market to spur foreign competition, keep wages low and add more consumers to whom the products are sold.
“This proposal contains the kinds of bipartisan solutions needed to secure our borders, fix our asylum system, and help American businesses meet their labor needs,” the vice president of policy said. Chamber of Commerce immigration, Jon Baselice, in a statement. “We look forward to working with the sponsors of the bill to ensure these desperately needed reforms to our country’s failing immigration system are signed into law.”
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The plan combines, among other things, nationwide mandatory E-Verify, a biometric entry-exit system and a crackdown on asylum fraud, with an amnesty for the country’s 11-22 million illegal aliens. countries that can pass a background check and pay the taxes due.
Illegal aliens seeking amnesty would pay $5,000 in restitution and be put on a 12-year track to eventually obtain a green card and then obtain naturalized U.S. citizenship after completing a series of procedures including studying for English, payment of more compensation and community service. points.
In addition, the plan blows legal immigration caps for the H-1B, H-2A, and H-2B visa programs, while increasing country-specific caps for overall immigration from its current 7% to 15%. .
Already, the United States grants green cards to more than one million legal immigrants each year, in addition to more than one million temporary work visas to foreign nationals. Along with illegal immigration, legal immigration levels have pushed the foreign-born population to its highest numbers ever.
The plan is unlikely to garner support from House Republicans, as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has repeatedly made it clear that he will not consider any amnesty plan.
McCarthy, along with other House GOP leaders, has been highly critical of the Chamber of Commerce. In February, for example, McCarthy shot down any chance that House leaders would hold sway over the majority of House Republicans.
“The priorities of the US Chamber of Commerce are not aligned with the priorities of House Republicans or the interests of their own members, and they should not expect a meeting with President McCarthy while it is the case,” a McCarthy spokesperson said.
An amnesty for illegal aliens is essential for many of Salazar’s biggest donors, which include property developers looking to build more homes and Wall Street-linked financial firms focused on growing their consumer base. and the influx of foreign workers.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
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