Secretary's Speech

Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez
National Association of Hispanic Journalists
San Jose, California

Thank you, Ivan, for the kind words. Let me begin by congratulating the Association on this 25th anniversary celebration.

Early in America’s history, President Thomas Jefferson said the only security of all is in a free press. As journalists, you have a powerful role in defining issues and in disseminating information.

I’m here today to talk to you about immigration, which I consider the most important domestic issue of our time. And let me state clearly upfront: Immigration reform is alive and well.

President Bush is committed to comprehensive immigration reform that protects our security and treats the undocumented people here humanely. He affirmed it in his radio address last week and in his meeting with the Republican Senators on Tuesday.

The President is a strong leader. And he believes this Congress can work together and pass legislation that will secure our borders and bring millions of hard-working undocumented immigrants out of the shadows.

I am an immigrant. My family fled Cuba for a safer, better life, when I was six years old.

Like others before and after us, we came in search of the American Dream.

What we call the American Dream is really the universal dream of people everywhere who want a job, a home and the opportunity for a better future for their children.

Under President Bush’s direction, members of the White House staff, Secretary Chertoff and I have spent many months in intense negotiations with a bipartisan group of Senators to craft a comprehensive immigration policy—the “grand compromise” which was announced last month.

Since then, the Senate debated this legislation, which has captured the attention of the entire nation.

As you know, the bill was pulled from the floor. We believe some Senators just needed more time to debate their amendments- we were just a few days away from getting there.

And last night, Senators Reid and McConnell announced that they will bring the bill back on the floor soon with 10 amendments to be voted on.

It’s too important—doing nothing is not an option. Without this bill, we will not be as secure as we need to be. We will not have the workforce we need to grow. And too many families will continue to live in fear.

There has been a clear demonstration of strong bipartisan support and goodwill throughout this process.

This is not the first time we’ve tried to fix our immigration system. The lessons of the past are clear. We must address all elements together, or none will be solved.

The debate on this issue has bounced back and forth between two extremes—wholesale amnesty, or the mass deportation of 12 million people. Neither option is viable, workable or realistic.

The solution is somewhere in the middle. This is a complex, emotional issue in which every side has a stake. Every side has a point of view. Businesses, workers, religious organizations, unions … the list is endless.

Most importantly, this is not a Republican or Democrat issue. It’s an American issue.

The reality is simple: The system is broken. A comprehensive solution is needed.

First, without comprehensive reform, we will not have national security. We must secure the border to know who enters our country. We need to know who’s already here. And we need a verification system that allows employers to feel confident that the employees they hire are here legally.

Second, we must recognize the reality that we cannot maintain economic growth without immigration.

Finally, we need a realistic and humane way to deal with the undocumented workers who are here. We need a solution that is compassionate, that is not amnesty, and that brings people into the economic and cultural mainstream.

I know that you have many demands on your time and attention – the 2008 elections being one – and many stories to cover. But I respectfully urge you to delve as much as possible into these important issues.

• American people need to know the positive impact immigration reform will have on our nation’s safety and security.
• The positive impact immigration reform will have on farmers, on businesses, on our economic competitiveness.
• Look at the positive impact immigration reform will have on undocumented workers and families who have deep roots here.

And then look at what will happen if we don’t have a bill:

• Coyotes will continue to prey on desperate people. And,
• Fathers, mothers, and children will continue to live in fear.
• Cities will continue to pass their own laws.

Passage of this bill is the right thing to do for our security, for our economy and for our society.

The fact is there is a strong economic case for immigration. Last year our economy grew at 3.1 percent. To continue that growth, we need a growing workforce. Demographics are not on our side.

We are near a historic low 4.5 percent unemployment—below the average of the last four decades. This is good news, a reflection of the President’s pro-growth policies.

But I meet with a lot of business groups. And they tell me there are thousands of jobs across the country they can’t fill.

The proportion of low-skilled workers in the U.S. is declining. In 1970, 36 percent of the labor force did not have a high school diploma. Today just less than 10 percent of the labor force does not have a high school education.

Native-born Americans have, in many ways, moved beyond low-skilled jobs. But the jobs are still there and growing.

This tightening labor market isn’t exclusive to the low-skilled jobs available. Reform must take into account our need for high skilled workers as well.

The comprehensive bill includes a merit system that balances family connections with the demands of our growing economy.

To keep our competitive edge, companies need the option to dip into the larger global pool of skilled workers to meet their needs.

The bill also would increase the number of H-1B visas which allow foreign workers with specialized skills to come to America and contribute to our economic growth.

Every developed country around the world is going to have to embrace immigration in order to prosper—Germany, France, Australia, Canada, the UK. We should have the advantage over them. We have experience with immigration and we have seen the benefits of immigration.

Immigrants add new creativity, energy, vitality and entrepreneurship to our economy. Consider

• Hispanic-owned businesses are growing three times the national average for all businesses.
• There are an estimated two million Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S., generating nearly $300 billion.
• By 2010, it’s estimated these numbers will grow to over 3 million Hispanic firms, generating over $460 billion.
• By year’s end, one in 10 small businesses will be owned by Hispanic-Americans.

Welcoming immigrants has been our historic strength. While other nations struggle—often violently—to welcome immigrants it has been our core strength.

One last comment: The comprehensive immigration reform bill is a bipartisan agreement. Bipartisan means everyone involved has had to compromise.

As part of the art of compromise, not everyone achieved what they wanted. But everyone got a little bit of something. So, by definition, there are imperfections. And everyone can find some fault in it. That’s easy. Leadership is difficult—standing up and explaining why this is right.

But the bottom line is this: It's a bill that moves us forward. It’s our best chance to fix a broken system. And, it's a lot better than the status quo.

In the end, with this comprehensive immigration reform bill we have an historic opportunity to strengthen our security, to bring undocumented workers and families into the sunlight, and to ensure America’s economic competitiveness in the 21st century.

All of this goes away if we if we don’t have a bill. We should not let this opportunity pass.

Thank you.