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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, In an increasingly complex global economy, |
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transnational labor mobility is crucial to the prosperity of the |
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United States, but our rigid, outmoded immigration policies are |
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making it difficult for the nation to compete; and |
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WHEREAS, The United States Congress last enacted major |
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immigration legislation more than a quarter-century ago; since that |
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time, piecemeal attempts at reform have failed to create the kind of |
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rational and effective system we need to maintain competitiveness, |
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whether in industries like agriculture, construction, and |
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manufacturing, which require large numbers of workers able to |
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perform physically demanding tasks, or in technology, where there |
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is increasing demand for employees with advanced degrees in math |
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and science; and |
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WHEREAS, Immigrants perform vital functions in a variety of |
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industries, and in Texas, they start nearly a third of the state's |
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new businesses; even unauthorized immigrants produce more in state |
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revenue than they receive in state services, according to a 2006 |
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study by the Office of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, |
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which estimated that their deportation would cause more than a six |
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percent decline in the workforce and nearly an $18 billion decline |
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in the gross state product; and |
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WHEREAS, The United States is home to millions of |
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unauthorized immigrants, including children brought to this |
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country illegally who have grown up here and know no home other than |
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the United States; a commonsense road map to earned legal status for |
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these residents would create additional tax revenue and stimulate |
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the economy by allowing them to open bank accounts, obtain college |
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degrees, buy homes, establish new American companies, and create |
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jobs; a study published by the Cato Institute estimated that a |
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complete overhaul of the immigration system would yield at least |
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$1.5 trillion in added U.S. gross domestic product over 10 years; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A rational overhaul of the immigration system |
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requires a tough, fair, and practical program to address the status |
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of unauthorized immigrants, stopping real threats and contingent on |
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bringing accountability to border enforcement programs, providing |
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additional funding for border communities that bear a |
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disproportionate burden in the enforcement of immigration laws, and |
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addressing visa overstays; in order to protect all workers, whether |
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native or foreign-born, it must include an efficient and |
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transparent employment verification system that identifies |
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qualified candidates while penalizing employers who knowingly hire |
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unauthorized immigrants; federal policy must also be designed to |
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develop a guest worker program to respond to the future labor needs |
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of U.S. business by matching willing workers with willing American |
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employers; and |
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WHEREAS, Recognizing the characteristics that will help |
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build prosperity and strengthen our society, a commonsense road map |
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to earned legal status for unauthorized immigrants would encompass |
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a health and criminal background check, proof of a stable U.S. work |
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history and current employment, and payment of relevant fines and |
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taxes; to gain probationary legal status, individuals would be |
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further required to demonstrate knowledge of English and American |
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civics and go to the back of the same line as those prospective |
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immigrants seeking to come to the United States legally; fairness |
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demands that the system take into account special circumstances |
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surrounding candidates for probationary legal status, such as |
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minors brought to the country as children or agricultural workers |
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whose labor is essential to maintain the food supply; and |
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WHEREAS, The United States is a nation founded upon respect |
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for the rule of law; national security and our national interests |
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are poorly served by an embattled immigration system, and patchwork |
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attempts to mend its deficiencies undermine our potential for |
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prosperity and leave us ill-prepared to meet the challenges of the |
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modern world; and |
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WHEREAS, Solutions that provide for blanket amnesty, such as |
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those presented in the Simpson-Mazzoli Act of 1986, encourage |
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future violations of the law and should be excluded from the panoply |
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of options to be considered by the United States Congress; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas, |
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1st Called Session, hereby respectfully urge the United States |
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Congress to swiftly enact and fund comprehensive immigration reform |
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that creates both a commonsense road map to earned legal status for |
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unauthorized immigrants and a guest worker program that |
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contemplates the future needs of U.S. business, in furtherance of |
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our nation's economic growth and national security; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |