September 30, 2010

Congressman Steve King (R-IA) delivered this statement at the beginning of the 9/30/10 Immigration Subcommittee hearing on the subject of illegal immigrants' impact on the American economy. King presented evidence into the record to directly refute claims made by advocates of amnesty for illegal immigrants. In particular, King referenced expert testimony showing that low-skilled immigrants are a drain on the US economy. As one example, King cited research showing that households headed by low-skilled immigrants receive $30,160 per year in government benefits while paying only $10,573 per year in taxes. This results in a cost to the American taxpayer of $89 billion a year.