UNITED STATES NEWS

Bush says immigrants fill gap in labor market

Dec 4, 2012, 10:25 PM

Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) – As the U.S. debates immigration policy, former President George W. Bush says it should “do so with a benevolent spirit and keep in mind the contribution of immigrants.”

“Immigrants have helped build the country that we’ve become and immigrants can help build a dynamic tomorrow,” Bush said Tuesday as he opened a conference on the benefits of immigration hosted by the George W. Bush Institute and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

The conference comes as immigration reform is getting renewed attention following an election in which Hispanics overwhelmingly supported Democratic President Barack Obama. Bush has long been concerned about immigration and had warned the Republican Party as he left office in January 2009 not to become “anti-immigrant.”

“America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time,” Bush said Tuesday.

One of the Bush Institute’s focuses is economic growth, and the conference is part of an institute initiative to find ways for the U.S. to achieve 4 percent gross domestic product growth. For the most recent quarter, the country’s GDP grew at 2.7 percent.

Bush said immigrants come with “new skills and new ideas” and “fill a critical gap in our labor market.”

Following Bush’s remarks, the conference featured panels with business leaders and economic experts on both the immigrants’ contributions to economic growth and their contributions to businesses.

A handbook on growth and immigration by the institute notes immigrants are more likely than people born in the U.S. to be self-employed and are disproportionally responsible for U.S. international patent applications and for starting successful engineering and technology firms.

Immigration reform is expected to be taken up by Congress starting next year.

Bush’s own promised overhaul of immigration policy in his second term was defeated in Congress when leading lawmakers, including fellow Republicans, thought provisions such as a guest worker program amounted to amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Michelle Mittelstadt, spokeswoman for the Migration Policy Institute, said it’s significant that Bush is speaking about the issue at a time when “there’s a lot of soul-searching in the Republican Party about what sort of policy decisions it should be taking on immigration.”

She said Bush set out a framework for immigration reform in the early months of his presidency, before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks changed the direction of his administration, and then tried in 2006 and 2007 to get an immigration overhaul through Congress.

“Though he didn’t succeed, he has a long track record of working on this issue,” she said.

The current push for reform comes from both a recognition that the system is “broken or is dysfunctional” and an acknowledgement that it will be an important issue for both parties, she said.

James K. Glassman, executive director of the Bush Institute, said that when the institute was identifying policy areas that could help grow the economy, immigration was one of the points that quickly emerged.

“We need to attract the best and brightest and keep them here,” Glassman said.

Glassman added that the U.S. also needs a solution for those who are already in the country illegally.

He said the institute’s goal is to raise the visibility of immigration issues, making sure that economic growth is connected to immigration. “We see our role as being longer term and broader,” Glassman said.

“We didn’t plan on this being so timely, but there is no doubt it is extremely timely,” Glassman said.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

United States News

Associated Press

Grand jury indicts man for murder in shooting death of Texas girl during ATM robbery

HOUSTON (AP) — A man accused of fatally shooting a 9-year-old girl when he was robbed at a Houston ATM in 2022 has been indicted for murder in her death. Tuesday’s indictment against Tony Earls comes nearly two years after another grand jury had declined to indict him in the death of Arlene Alvarez. “We […]

1 minute ago

Associated Press

Guard kills Georgia inmate at hospital after he overpowered other officer, investigators say

SANDERSVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia prison guard shot and killed a prisoner she had helped escort to a hospital for treatment after he snatched another guard’s pepper spray and used it to overpower him, authorities said Wednesday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said its agents are investigating the late Tuesday shooting at Washington County […]

33 minutes ago

President Joe Biden speaks April 24, 2024, before signing a $95 billion war aid measure that includ...

Associated Press

Joe Biden signs bill that provides aid for Ukraine, others and forces TikTok to be sold or banned

President Joe Biden signed a bill with aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that includes a provision to force TikTok to be sold or be banned in U.S.

2 hours ago

Associated Press

74-year-old Ohio woman charged in armed robbery of credit union was scam victim, family says

FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio (AP) — A 74-year-old woman charged in the armed robbery of an Ohio credit union last week is a victim of an online scam who may have been trying to solve her financial problems, according to her relatives. Ann Mayers, who had no previous run-ins with the law, faces counts of aggravated […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Teen charged in mass shooting at LGBTQ+ friendly punk rock show in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A teenage suspect who allegedly made derogatory remarks about LGBTQ+ people before opening fire at a backyard punk rock show faces seven felony charges for a shooting that killed one person and injured six others in Minneapolis. The document charging Dominic James Burris and another man says the shooting was motivated by […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Biden signs a $95 billion war aid measure with assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed into law on Wednesday a $95 billion war aid measure that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and that also has a provision that would force social media site TikTok to be sold or be banned in the U.S. The announcement marks an end to the long, […]

8 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DESERT INSTITUTE FOR SPINE CARE

Desert Institute for Spine Care is the place for weekend warriors to fix their back pain

Spring has sprung and nothing is better than March in Arizona. The temperatures are perfect and with the beautiful weather, Arizona has become a hotbed for hikers, runners, golfers, pickleball players and all types of weekend warriors.

...

Midwestern University

Midwestern University Clinics: transforming health care in the valley

Midwestern University, long a fixture of comprehensive health care education in the West Valley, is also a recognized leader in community health care.

...

DISC Desert Institute for Spine Care

Sciatica pain is treatable but surgery may be required

Sciatica pain is one of the most common ailments a person can face, and if not taken seriously, it could become one of the most harmful.

Bush says immigrants fill gap in labor market