Congressional Record—Senate S 15570

S 15570 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð SENATE October 24, 1995 No one can predict what will happen land Medal Honor Recipients, DAV, carried out before an employer can in medicine over the next 50 years. and the Marine Corps League. sponsor an immigrant worker. This Over the last 50 years, there have been Harry Kizirian's name has become process has some shortcomings, but it tremendous changes. The technological synonymous with the qualities he ex- is intended to guarantee that immi- advances are simply mind-boggling. emplifiesÐdedication, loyalty, leader- grant workers do not displace Amer- The challenge for us in health care is ship, and hard work. I am delighted to ican workers. to maintain the highest quality of honor him, not only for his lifetime of A serious problem is that our laws health care in the world and at the service to the Postal Service, but also governing temporary foreign workers same time to continue to make it for his involvement with and commit- contain no such requirement. They are available to all Americans, but this can ment to his community. Congratula- based on the outdated view that be- be done only if we change that basic tions, Harry. cause they enter only temporarily, few framework through which medical f protections for U.S. workers are re- services are consumed. quired. Current law does not require A medical savings account, again, is U.S. WORKERS NEED MORE PRO- employers to try to recruit U.S. work- not the answer to these problems. But TECTION UNDER OUR IMMIGRA- ers first, and the Department of Labor it is an alternative. It is an option TION LAWS has little authority to investigate and which will go a long way to empower Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, legal remedy abuses that arise, such as the individual consumers. immigration within the limits and underpayment of wages or the use of f rules of our immigration laws has inadequate working conditions. served America well throughout our As a result, a U.S. firm can lay off HONORING HARRY KIZIRIAN history, and is one of the most impor- permanent U.S. workers and fill their Mr. PELL. Mr. President, today the tant elements of our national strength jobs with temporary foreign workersÐ Senate will act on H.R. 1606, legislation and character. either by hiring them directly or by to designate the U.S. Post Office Build- Clearly, Congress and the American using outside contractors. In one case, a major U.S. computer ing located at 24 Corliss Street, Provi- people today are rightly concerned firm laid off many of its U.S. computer dence, RI, as ``The Harry Kizirian Post about illegal immigration. There is programmers, then entered into a joint Office Building.'' I was pleased to join broad bipartisan support for effective venture with an Indian computer firm my colleague, Senator JOHN CHAFEE, in measures to crack down on this fester- that supplied replacement program- cosponsoring the Senate version of the ing problem. But we must be careful to mersÐmost of whom were temporary bill, S. 786. ensure that attitudes toward illegal workers from India. It is a fitting tribute for Congress to immigrants do not create a backlash While reforms are needed in this name this particular structure after against legal immigrants. area, we must be careful not to throw In general, the current laws and poli- Harry Kizirian because it was the first the baby out with the bath water. cies on legal immigration work well, post office in the United States to use Many temporary workers who come and we must be hesitant to change a fully automated sorting system, here provide unique skills that help the them, especially those that give high under Harry's supervision. Harry United States to stay competitive in Kizirian himself is a Rhode Island land- priority to encouraging family reunifi- the global marketplace. For example, mark because of his extraordinary con- cation and enabling U.S. citizens to such workers can bring unique knowl- tributions to the United States, to bring their spouses, children, parents edge and expertise to university re- Rhode Island, and to Providence. and siblings to this country. search programs developing new medi- But one area of legal immigration When Harry was just 15 years old, his cal advances and new technologies. father died, and he went to work part- that needs reform is in the rules pro- As Congress takes up far-reaching re- time as a postal clerk to help support tecting American workers. It has be- forms in legal immigration, it is vi- his widowed mother. He then worked come clear that protections for U.S. tally important that we recognize his way up through the leadership posi- workers under current law have not these basic distinctions. Stronger pro- tions in the Postal Service. After being kept pace with changes in the Amer- tections for American workers are nominated by former Senator John O. ican labor market and the world labor needed. But they are not inconsistent Pastore, Harry was confirmed by the market. with preserving an appropriate role for Senate in 1961 as postmaster of Provi- This problem is particularly serious foreign workers with unique skills. dence, RI, a post he held for more than in our laws permitting the entry of In our subcommittee hearings earlier 25 years. temporary foreign workersÐthe so- this month, Secretary of Labor Robert World War II interrupted Harry's ca- called nonimmigrants. Hearings con- Reich proposed three important reer for a short time. He enlisted in the ducted earlier this month by the Sen- changes to our immigration laws on U.S. Marine Corps after he graduated ate Subcommittee on Immigration, temporary foreign workers. I believe from Mount Pleasant High School and under the able chairmanship of Senator these should receive serious consider- subsequently became Rhode Island's SIMPSON, have revealed the depth of ation by Congress. most decorated marine. this problem. Secretary Reich proposed, first, that He fought in Okinawa and was shot U.S. companies are increasingly out- these employers should be required to in battle. He earned the Navy Cross, sourcing activities previously per- make good faith efforts to recruit U.S. the Bronze Star with a ``V'', the Purple formed by permanent employees. More workers firstÐbefore seeking the entry Heart with a gold star and, finally, the firms are resorting more often to the of a foreign worker. Second, he pro- Rhode Island Cross. use of temporary workers or independ- posed that employers who lay off U.S. After the war, Harry returned to ent contractors as a way of increasing workers should be precluded from seek- Rhode Island and to his job at the Post profits and reducing wages and bene- ing foreign workers in that field for at Office. In addition to his military serv- fits, even though the result is less in- least 6 months. Third, he proposed that ice and his work in the Postal Service, house expertise for the firms. the length of time that temporary for- he had served on numerous committees Often, the workers brought in from eign workers may remain in the United and boards in Rhode Island. outside are U.S. citizens. But increas- States be reduced from 6 years under Harry served on the board of direc- ingly, U.S. firms are also turning to current law to no more than 3 years, in tors of Butler Hospital, Big Brothers of temporary foreign workers. Yet, this order to reduce the overall number of Rhode Island, the Providence Human little known aspect of our immigration temporary foreign workers in the coun- Relations Commission, Rhode Island laws includes few protections for U.S. try at a given time. Blue Cross, and Rhode Island Heart and workers. In addition to these three thoughtful Lung Associations. Current laws governing permanent proposals by Secretary Reich, the bi- He was also a member of the Commu- immigrant workers require employers partisan Commission on Immigration nity Advisory Board of Rhode Island to try to recruit U.S. workers first. The Reform, chaired by former Congress- College, the Providence Heritage Com- Department of Labor must certify that woman Barbara Jordan, has rec- mission, the Commission on Rhode Is- efforts for such recruitment have been ommended that employers who request.

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