» Immigration:
Speaker says economy needs immigrants to replace retiring workers
House Speaker Paul Ryan casts doubt on a plan to cut legal immigration, saying the U.S. economy needs workers to replace retiring baby boomers.
MUSKEGO - U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan cast doubt Friday on a plan by President Donald Trump to cut legal immigration, saying the American economy needs workers to replace retiring baby boomers.
“I just think arbitrary cuts to legal immigration don’t take into effect the economy’s needs as the boomers are retiring,” Ryan said in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “With baby boomers leaving the workforce, we’re still going to have labor shortages in certain areas and that is where a wellreformed legal immigration system should be able to make up the difference.”
Ryan cautioned he has yet to fully review the proposal and said he does want to overhaul the immigration system to focus on economic needs like dairy farms and research and engineering work. But he questioned the wisdom of actually cutting the number of immigrants entering the United States.
“I think legal immigration is good for our country. I’m a supporter of legal immigration,” Ryan said.
On Wednesday, Trump proposed a broad new U.S. immigration system that would rewrite the rules for becoming an American citizen and cut in half the number of immigrants allowed in.
The plan drew questions from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, with some worried about the impact on their state economies and others about the nation’s tradition as a refuge for immigrants.
Trump’s attacks on illegal immigration have been central to his presidential campaign and his first six months in office, as he mobilized the Department of Homeland Security to ramp up deportations of undocumented immigrants. Wednesday’s announcement, however, marked his first attempt to tackle the legal immigration system.
The proposal is part of a bill sponsored by Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia. It would switch from a system based on family members in the U.S. to one based on economic value to the country.
Taking cues from immigration systems in Canada and Australia, the plan would end the long-held practice of U.S. citizens sponsoring parents, siblings and adult children for permanent residence and ultimate citizenship. Americans would only be allowed to bring in their spouses and minor children, a restriction immigration opponents have sought for years.
A “merit-based” system would grade other foreign applicants on their potential contributions to the economy, with the highest scores — and entry — going to those with advanced education, English proficiency and a stellar work history.
Moreover, the bill would slash in half the 1.1 million legal permanent residents admitted to the U.S. last year and end a diversity program that grants 50,000 long-term visas a year to foreigners from countries that are underrepresented in the U.S. Most are reserved for those from Africa, Asia and eastern Europe.
On Friday, Ryan visited companies in Burlington, Muskego and Franklin, where he toured the businesses and took questions from workers. He focused many of his comments on overhauling the tax code but also fielded questions on things like health care, Foxconn, veterans and worker training programs.
During a stop at Allis-Roller, a machine parts manufacturer in Franklin, Ryan also pushed back against calls to jail journalists who refuse to reveal sources who leak information. He said he had not seen the specific proposal, but noted that Vice President Mike Pence pushed for a shield law when he was in Congress.
“Leaks are a bad thing. Leaks are concerning because leaks can often compromise national security,” Ryan told reporters. “But that’s the problem of the leaker, not the journalist.”
The Janesville Republican’s comments came shortly after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a crackdown on disclosures of classified information Friday, warning both would-be leakers and journalists as he insisted that the “culture of leaking must stop.”
“I just think arbitrary cuts to legal immigration don’t take into effect the economy’s needs as the boomers are retiring.” PAUL RYAN U.S. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE