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Republican says he hasn't seen a manufacturing plant that can hire enough workers

Tuesday, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson told the Rotary Club of Milwaukee that immigration reform is necessary for the U.S. to keep up with worker demand.

"As I've been on the job now as your U.S. Senator for the last 6.5 years, there's not one manufacturing plant that I've toured, that can hire enough people," Johnson said. "There's probably not one dairy farm that can find enough workers to milk their cows."

Johnson called for a common sense solution legal immigration reform.

"We need to recognize the reality of that situation," Johnson said. "We need a functioning, legal immigration system."

Johnson offered some guidelines for reform.

"It's gotta be based on facts. It's gotta be based on merit. It's gotta be based on compassion," he said. "All of those things, rolled together."

During the meeting, Johnson also suggested Illinois should help pay some of the cost for getting Taiwan-based manufacturer Foxconn to locate in Wisconsin and acknowledged the difficulties of getting the deal done.

"In the end, it's probably a risk worth taking," he said.

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Wisconsin Sen. Johnson calls for immigration reform, addresses Foxconn hurdles - La Crosse's NewsTalk 1410AM 92.3FM

Congress is bracing for several fights this fall over immigration and border security as the Trump administration struggles to make good on its campaign promises.

The battle could pit President Trump against moderates and senators up for reelection in 2018, who want a more comprehensive approach to both issues.

Lawmakers must pass legislation by the end of September to avoid a government shutdown. The White House appears poised to use that deadline as leverage to secure progress on its immigration agenda and particularly on funding for a border wall, Trumps most famous campaign promise.

The Trump administration is making a hard push for border wall funding as part of any agreement.

Marc Short, a top White House aide, recently pitched congressional staff on including some border wall funding that would be used for a double fence in exchange for more spending on domestic programs a top priority for Democrats, according to Politico.

Asked about the potential trade-off, two Senate Democratic aides said no official offer has been made but predicted any border wall funding wouldnt pass muster with Democrats as well as some Republicans.

If it were made, we expect this misguided wall would be opposed by Republicans as well as Democrats, said Jay Tilton, a spokesman for Sen. Patrick LeahyPatrick LeahyGrassley shouldn't allow Senate Democrats to block judicial nominees Trumps rhetoric and bluster could lose US an ally in Mexico Congress must act to protect data privacy before courts make surveillance even easier MORE (Vt), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

The battle over the wall could also be pushed until later in the year if lawmakers pass a short-term continuing resolution that would put government funding on autopilot through December. That scenario is viewed as increasingly likely despite opposition from some Republicans.

Despite broad support in the GOP for increased border security, not everyone thinks the emphasis should be on building a wall.

Top lawmakers in the upper chamber, including Senate Majority Whip John CornynJohn CornynCongressional investigations not just special counsels strengthen our democracy Wrath of right falls on Google THE MEMO: Trump's basecheers attacks on McConnell MORE (R-Texas), are backing a years-long border security plan that would instead pay for fencing and increased technology.

The legislation which pairs a crackdown on illegal immigration with increased border security would cost $15 billion over four years.

Asked about a potential shutdown fight over the border wall and if Republicans could say they made good on their promise to secure the border without the money, Cornyn told reporters that he didnt want to put the cart ahead of the horse. Still, he said, the funding should come following a plan, not the other way around.

What we're trying to do here is take that fight off the table, talk about a comprehensive plan that will actually work and accomplish the goals that the president has set out, Cornyn said.

Though Republicans began fast-tracking Cornyn's bill to the Senate calendar before leaving for the August recess, it could still be referred to a committee once lawmakers return.

A spokeswoman for Cornyn said on Monday that she didnt have any scheduling announcements.

Meanwhile, some GOP lawmakers are signaling they want to work with Democrats on broader immigration legislation.

Sen. John McCainJohn McCainMcCain defends McMaster from right-wing media attacks After ObamaCare repeal failure, look to the center Challengers super PAC accuses Flake of betraying voters in new ad MORE (R-Ariz.) wants to try to revive bipartisan comprehensive immigration talks with Senate Minority Leader Chuck SchumerCharles SchumerDemocrats urge Trump to condemn Charlottesville violence Melania Trump on Charlottesville protests: 'No good comes from violence' It's time for McConnell to fight with Trump instead of against him MORE (D-N.Y.). The two senators worked on a comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2013 that passed the Senate but died in the House.

But while a bipartisan deal would boost their chances of getting an immigration bill through the Senate, it would likely be a non-starter with House conservatives, who are focused on improving border security first.

Another X-factor in the immigration debate is Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that allows undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children to remain here legally. Under DACA, nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants were given a work permit and protected from deportation.

Trump vowed to end the program during the campaign. Unless he halts the program by Sept. 5, DACA will be challenged in court and the administration has not said whether it will defend it. If the administration does not defend DACA, it will effectively be ending it.

Several lawmakers are pushing to ensure that DACA remains in place.

Sens. Dick DurbinDick Durbin'Dreamers' deadline looms for Trump Senators push federal prisons to expand compassionate release Immigration battle brewing in the GOP MORE (D-Ill.) and Lindsey GrahamLindsey GrahamTrump's Charlottesville comments push North Korea from spotlight 'Dreamers' deadline looms for Trump Graham: Trump must do more to distance himself from white supremacists MORE (R-S.C.) have teamed up on two bills aimed at allowing undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children to remain here legally, at least temporarily.

GOP Sens. Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Dean Heller (Nev.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) have signed on to at least one of Grahams bills.

Even though the White House has rejected the DREAM Act, a bill establishing a path to permanent residency for undocumented minors, Democrats are continuing to push the proposal as a first step to getting comprehensive immigration through Congress.

I think there is some bipartisan support for solutions to this issue, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), who is increasingly the subject of buzz about a presidential run in 2020, said on Monday. But we frankly need to get more Republicans on board.

Meanwhile, even as Republicans debate what to do about illegal immigration, Trump is publicly throwing his full support behind a bill from GOP Sens. Tom CottonTom CottonThe RAISE Act reveals what Trump really thinks about immigrants How Trump's legal immigration cuts could be a blessing to Dreamers Cut the budget caps: The US needs to properly fund our military MORE (Ark.) and David Perdue (Ga.) that would tighten legal immigration by creating a merit-based points system and limiting the number green cards awarded each year.

But that bill has generated opposition in both parties. Asked about the legislation, Sen. Marco RubioMarco RubioThe Memo: Trump tries to quiet race storm Trump tweets on trade, military, Alabama, but not Charlottesville Venezuelan leader put a hit on Marco Rubio: report MORE (R-Fla.) told a Florida CBS station, "I think the White House knows that you don't have 60 votes for that in the Senate."

The remarks got him quick pushback from conservatives, including members of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which asked whether GOP leadership was waving the white flag on real immigration reform.

Asked about criticism from his GOP colleagues, Cotton told KARK, an Arkansas-based TV station, that many of my colleagues are emotional and opinionated yet uninformed about his legislation and immigration more broadly.

Congress has tried and failed to pass big sweeping comprehensive reform for 11 years now at least. I just dont think thats the right approach anymore, the GOP senator saidin a separate interview.

Both Cotton and Perdue have said they are open to negotiating across the aisle. There are 10 Senate Democrats running for reelection in states Trump won in 2016, and those members could face pressure to support tougher immigration laws.

The Cotton-Perdue bill will need to clear the Senate Judiciary Committee which includes skeptics such as Graham, Flake and Democrats in order to move forward.

More likely ... well have to make some compromises with Democrats and their priorities, Cotton said. Even though its a bit of a novel approach to the problem, something that hasnt been debated a lot in Washington, our legislation is designed to address concerns that a lot of Democrats share.

This story was updated at 11:01 a.m.

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Immigration battlefield widens for Trump, GOP - The Hill (blog)

A recent online test by Time magazine has been flying around the internet it uses rules outlined in President Trumps proposed immigration reform to determine if you, the test-taker, would be approved for a visa under Trumps RAISE Act. The minimum score is 30 points, and the desirable qualities toward those points include youth, higher education, and deep pockets. Isnt that all of us? Not so. (This writer scored a 28.)

Even the 2016 Nobel Laureate in literature, Svetlana Alexievich honored for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time is apparently not good enough for this country under Trumps plan. Unless, of course, the Belarusian writer who spends most of her time collecting oral histories about what life was like pre- and post-Soviet Union has $1.35 million to invest. Then this administration would be willing to overlook her dabbling in the dark, low-yielding arts of the humanities.

Apparently, it doesnt matter if youve dedicated your life to trying to understand why suffering cannot be converted to freedom if you also cannot convert that thought into currency.

But enough about real people. What about 2017s fictional recent arrivals? How would they fare in this test? I looked at three debut novels published this year that feature fictional immigrant newcomers, and took the liberty to fill out the test for them to see how theyd do.

Applicant: Eugenias family Origin: Rome, Italy Score:15 Status: Ineligible

An Italian patriarch forces his family to move to L.A. just as the Rodney King riots are subsiding in order to fulfill his dream of making an Italian-Hollywood horror film. However, in the tradition of the manic and hilarious prose of Gary Shteyngart, the glamour and glitz of America remains firmly out of reach. For Eugenia, the eldest daughter, this miss is harshly felt. There are no pools, no fancy cars, no evanescent sunlight. Instead, she is stationed in a bizarre neighborhood marooned by a long highway, where her only friends are a thrift store owner missing part of an ear and the young dubious producer helping her father, Ettero, with the film. Often praying to the Virgin Mary to ease her troubles, she pleads at some point for the Mother of God to provide a solution for her feeling out of place, pointing out, Its easier to be a Virgin who gives birth than to be an Italian who lives on Victory and Sepulveda. Amen.

Immigration Test Notes: As entertaining as they may seem, this Italian family failed to achieve eligibility to apply for a visa in part for the ambiguous job offer that brings them to the U.S. Ettero is billed as a journalist, though he is a filmmaker. Not that the suspicious offer of the job disqualifies them, rather, it is the salary, which I guesstimate to be less than $77,900, and is therefore worth exactly zero points.

Score: 8Applicant: PeilanOrigin: ChinaStatus: Ineligible

This touching and sensitive novel, which won the PEN/Bellwether Prize, is the story of a boy whose mother is undocumented and one day does not return from work. A white family adopts the boy, Deming, but he is never able to put from his mind his mothers disappearance. Lisa Ko is a subtle, intelligent writer, drawing up the complications of assimilation in simple terms. When Demings mother, Peilan, arrives to America, she becomes Polly. So it was Polly, not Peilan, who was doing thirteen-hour shifts in a garment factory, the same work Peilan had done in China except for eight times more money, and it was Polly who paid too much rent for a sleeping bag on the floor. For his part, Deming is renamed Daniel by his adoptive parents: Daniel had lay dormant in Deming until adolescence, and now Deming was a hairball tumor jammed deep in Daniels gut. A beautiful, daring debut.

Immigration Test Notes: Peilan, who comes into the U.S. as undocumented, does not speak good English, does not get very many points for schooling, and also, she did not recently win an Olympic medal.

Score 28Applicant: Selins ParentsOrigin: TurkeyStatus: Ineligible

In the times when e-mail is a new shiny thing, Selin, the daughter of Turkish immigrants, tries to survive her first year at Harvard. This cunning, engrossing novel is filled with delightful conundrums that made me many times put the book down so that I could consider for example, what is the structural equivalency between a tissue box and a book? Batuman writes, Both consisted of slips of white paper in a cardboard case; yet and this was ironic there was very little functional equivalence, especially if the book wasnt yours. This is also a story of freshman love, and all freshman things that eventually also fade and are lost in the transition of growing up.

Immigration Test Notes: Selins parents are educated, and though they warrant a check in the box marking a foreign masters degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (worth a whopping 8 points), in the end it was not enough. Probably because their lack of a Nobel prize. Sad!

The Leavers and The Idiot are available wherever books are sold. Catch Chiara Barzini, author of Things that Happened Before the Earthquake, at Green Apple Books on the Park (1231 9th Ave., San Francisco) on Thursday, Aug. 17, at 7:30pm.

The Spine is a biweekly book column. Catch us back here in two weeks.

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Merit-Based Immigration Reform: The Fictional Character Edition - KQED

By Janet Williams

I wonder what Stephen Miller and Donald Trump would have to say about my grandmother and her rag-tag immigrant family.

Miller, a senior White House advisor, and Trump support a sweeping immigration reform plan that would slash the overall number of immigrants while welcoming those with money, skills and English-language proficiency. In other words, we welcome the best and brightest and to hell with the huddled masses.

That would have included my grandmother and her family.

My grandmothers story is like so many others. She arrived in the United States from Germany with her oldest sister not long after the turn of the last century. She joined her father, mother and younger brothers in a thriving immigrant community amid the coal mines and steel mills of Johnstown in Cambria County, Pennsylvania.

As best I can figure out from the faded lines on an old ship manifest from the Ellis Island website, my great-grandfather was a common laborer who came under the sponsorship of a brother.

They didnt speak English when they got here and until the World War I they lived among German neighbors, shopped in German-run grocery stores and worshipped in German church services. I still have my grandmothers German Lutheran hymnal and her faded confirmation certificate, also in German.

Still, my grandmothers generation learned English quickly and she spoke the language flawlessly without a trace of an accent. Thats because she was determined to be American.

Her generation worked, married, raised children, sent them to college and encouraged them to dream of a life where anything was possible for them and their children even for those who spoke no English and started with no education and few skills.

What they and most immigrants of all backgrounds bring to our great nation is determination, energy and a belief in the American dream of equal opportunity for all.

The so-called immigration reform proposal turns that dream upside down, barring many of the kinds of people who have made America a great incubator of innovation, technology and creativity. In my grandmothers time, they came mostly from the poor and struggling populations of Europe. Today, they migrate from Africa, the Middle East and South America. What immigrants across generations share are a belief in America and a hope in a better future.

I can make plenty of economic arguments against this proposal. Sen. Lindsay Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said the plan would bar the thousands of lower-skilled workers that his states agricultural economy depends on. Other data show that allowing more workers of all skill levels actually helps the economy grow without hurting the job prospects of Americans.

The Partnership for a New American Economy, a nonpartisan group of more than 500 political and business leaders, reports that immigrants play a significant role in Indianas economy. There are nearly 323,000 foreign-born residents in Indiana and in 2014, immigrant-led households earned $8.1 billion, or 5 percent of all income that year, according to the data compiled by PNAE. That income translates into $2.3 billion in federal, state and local taxes.

If you think our foreign-born neighbors are a drain on social services consider that in 2014, the last year for which data is available, they contributed $382 million to Social Security and $89 million to Medicare.

And what about jobs?The Partnership for a New American Economy estimates that immigrants in the workforce actually helped keep jobs on American soil, preserving more than 5,500 local manufacturing jobs. In addition, many start their own businesses and in 2014 generated $136 million in business income.

Just because my family came here more than a century ago doesnt mean I have a bigger stake in the American dream than the family who arrived here from the Congo last year. We all share the American dream.

Janet Williams is editor of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students. Send comments to letters@dailyjournal.net.

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Immigration reform plan crushes American dream - Daily Journal - Daily Journal

The $1 trillion cost-saving generates a $3,000 saving for each American, and it is gained by halving one decades inflow of unskilled immigrants who will be dependent on taxpayer aid during their working years and in their old age.

Heritages 75-year estimate uses the data and analysis validated in September 2016 by the prestigious National Academics of Sciences. The academies September 2016 report prepared by a panel of pro-immigration experts showed that low-skill immigrants are very expensive for taxpayers. They are so expensive that American taxpayers are virtually depositing at least $140,000 in a bank at 3 percent interest as soon as each low-skill migrant arrives, the NAS panel said.

The Heritage report was written by Robert Rector, the foundations in-house expert on immigration. He wrote:

To cover the future cost of one years inflow of low-skill immigrants, the government would need to immediately raise taxes by a lump sum of $67 billion, put the money in the bank earning interest at the inflation rate plus 3 percent, and use the interest and principal to cover long-term costs. ($67 billion equals around $800 for each U.S. household currently paying federal income tax.)

Of course, in the next year another 470,000 would arrive, requiring another lump sum payment of $800 per taxpaying household. The year after, another 470,000 will arrive requiring another $800 per taxpaying household, and so on

The future net outlays (benefits given less taxes paid) for the inflow of 4.7 million low-skill immigrants will be around $1.9 trillion (in constant 2012 dollars).

Trumps merit immigration reform would trim future legal low-skill immigration by roughly 50 percent in one decade, so saving taxpayers at least $1 trillion over the next 75 years, says the Heritage report. Americans will save an extra $1 trillion for every decade where low-skill immigration is reduced, Rector said.

By limiting future legal low-skill immigration, the RAISE Act could save at least $1 trillion. Additional large savings could be achieved by limiting future illegal immigration. These saving figures apply to only a single decade of low-skill immigration. Similar savings would occur by limiting low-skill immigration in subsequent decades.

That cost saving, however, would be bad for the business and government interests which normally receive the huge welfare spending once the low-wage immigrants use the aid to effectively buy and consume food, lodging, entertainment, transportation and basic education for their kids.

TrumpspopularReforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act wasdrafted by two GOP Senators, Georgia Sen. David Perdue and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton.

The $1 trillion savings from reduced tax spending does not include the extra benefit of higher wages for Americans, especially for lower-skilled Americans, marginalized Americans and recent immigrants. According to Rector:

Metaphorically speaking, low-skill immigrants increase the economic pie, but they eat nearly all the increase themselves.

Low-skill immigration reduces the wages of similar U.S.-born workers. An immigration-induced increase in the low-skill labor force of 10 percent can reduce the wages of low-skill non-immigrant labor by 3 to 10 percent.

Some studies show wage losses as high as 17 percent. Black male wages and employment areespecially hard hit. By reducing wages of less skilled non-immigrants, low-skill immigration increases economic inequality in the U.S., redistributing income from the least advantaged Americans to the more affluent.

Reduced immigration also reduces the power of the Democratic Party to expand government and raise taxes, Rector notes:

According toCooperative Congressional Election Survey, the political alignment of immigrants is far to the left that of non-immigrants. Immigrants in general are twice as likely to identify with and register as Democrats than as Republicans.

Rector did not discuss the workplace impact of Trumps immigration reforms, which are already pushing companies to hire Americans, and to buy American-made, high-tech labor-saving machinery. That shift in investment is converting low-wage jobs slated for illegal immigrants into high-wage jobs for Americans.

Also, at least three economic forecasts show higher wages for Americans if immigration is rolled back, and numerous employers are already complaining about having to divert profit into wages or investment.

In his August 2 presentation of Trumps merit plan to the media, presidential advisor Steven Miller made clear the Presidents plan to raise all Americans wages:

At the end of the day, President Trump has been clear that he is a pro-high-wage President. He ran as a pro-high-wage candidate, and thats what this policy will accomplish.

At the same time, to the point about economic growth, were constantly told that unskilled immigration boosts the economy. But again, if you look at the last 17 years [of mass immigration], we just know from reality thats not true. And if you look at wages, you can see the effects there. If you look at the labor force, you can see the effects there.

And so again, were ending unskilled chain migration, but were also making sure that the great inventors of the world, the great scientists of the world, that people who have the next great piece of technology can come into the United States and compete in a competitive application process a points-based system that makes sense in the year 2017.

The annual inflow of foreign workers is very large.

In 2016, for example, federal data shows thatformer President Barack Obama gave federal Employment Authorization Document work permits toat least 2.3 million migrantsfor U.S. jobs, and approved visas for roughly 500,000 outsourcing workers, such as the H-1B white-collar workers, H-2B blue-collar workers and H-2A agriculture workers. Those temporary workers were in addition to the routine inflow of 1 million legal immigrants and roughly 400,000 illegal immigrants.

The combined inflow delivered almost4 million legal foreign workersto Americans economy in 2016, just as 4 million young Americans turned 18 and began looking for decently paid jobs.

Manypolls showthat Americans are very generous, they do welcome individual immigrants, and they do want to like the idea of immigration. But the polls also show that most Americans are increasingly worried that large-scale legal immigration will change their country and disadvantage themselves and their children.

The currentannual floodofforeign laborspikes profits and Wall Street valuesbycutting salariesfor manual and skilled labor offered by blue-collar and white-collar employees. It also drives up real estate prices,widens wealth-gaps, reduceshigh-tech investment, increasesstate and local tax burdens, hurtskids schoolsandcollege education, and sidelinesat least 5 million marginalizedAmericansand their families.

Read the Heritage report here.

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Donald Trump's Merit Immigration Reform Saves $1 Trillion by 2027, Says Study - Breitbart News