{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/releases?ContentRecord_id=4D6DFCBC-C7F0-4869-B7C6-F8C0B05FB556", "Hatch Outlines Key Principles for Successful Immigration Reform in Call with New Utah Coalition", "2016-11-21", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "UT", "Orrin Hatch", "H000338", "www.hatch.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\u201cNo one should expect a simple solution to such a complex set of problems, but I believe that our goal should be serious, effective legislation that can be broadly supported not only by Congress but also by the American people.\u201d\r\nSALT LAKE CITY\u2014Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the senior member and former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, outlined key principles for successful immigration reform on a conference call organized by the New American Economy (NAE) Utah Coalition.\r\nHatch focused his remarks on three key issues: enforcement, improving the high-skilled worker visa program, and the need for an effective guest worker program.\r\nOn enforcement:\r\nIn this or any other area, the best legislation in the world is of little value unless it is properly implemented and seriously enforced.\r\nWe must once and for all secure the border and ensure that those who enter our country do so legally.\r\nWe can make great strides in this area by using cutting-edge technology and biometrics to track those who enter and exit our country\u2014curtailing visa overstays and illegal entries.\r\nOn the high-skilled worker visa program:\r\nAs some of you know, I am the author of the I-Squared Act, which takes a coherent and constructive approach to high-skilled immigration by addressing the immediate need to provide American employers with greater access to high-skilled workers while also addressing the long-term need to invest in America\u2019s STEM education.\r\nHigh-skilled workers are essential to boost productivity and grow our economy, and in today\u2019s global and technology-driven economy, business will go wherever human capital can be found.\r\nFailure to reform our high-skilled immigration system is forcing American companies to outsource their innovation centers to countries like Canada or India.\r\nOn the need for a guest worker program:\r\nWe need an easy-to-use guest worker program that will incentivize employers to follow the law by hiring legal workers, while also providing workers the flexibility and mobility to allow them to do their jobs more efficiently.\r\nThat said, we must ensure that employers, big and small, are full participants in an employments verification program so that only those here legally are able to work.\r\nSenator Hatch\u2019s full remarks are below:\r\nIt\u2019s great to be with you this afternoon to launch the New American Economy Coalition here in Utah.\r\nThank you to the impressive group of community and business leaders and your dedicated efforts to update and streamline our immigration system.\r\nWe all know over the past several years there have been serious disagreements about both principles and policy and how best to achieve real and meaningful immigration reform.\r\nI\u2019m optimistic that the New American Economy Coalition will bridge this divide in helping address the concerns and priorities of conservatives as well as liberals, the business sector as well as the law enforcement community.\r\nNo one should expect a simple solution to such a complex set of problems, but I believe that our goal should be serious, effective legislation that can be broadly supported not only by Congress but also by the American people.\r\nLet me mention a few areas to which I will be paying particular attention throughout this discussion.\r\nThe first is enforcement.\r\nIn this or any other area, the best legislation in the world is of little value unless it is properly implemented and seriously enforced.\r\nWe must once and for all secure the border and ensure that those who enter our country do so legally.\r\nWe can make great strides in this area by using cutting-edge technology and biometrics to track those who enter and exit our country\u2014curtailing visa overstays and illegal entries.\r\nWe have experience to draw from here\u2014negative experience I have to admit\u2014but experience all the same.\u00a0 We ignore that experience at our own peril.\r\nThe second area is improving the process for allowing high-skilled individuals to enter the United States and work in important technology and other fields.\r\nAs some of you know, I am the author of the I-Squared Act, which takes a coherent and constructive approach to high-skilled immigration by addressing the immediate need to provide American employers with greater access to high-skilled workers while also addressing the long-term need to invest in America\u2019s STEM education.\r\nHigh-skilled workers are essential to boost productivity and grow our economy, and in today\u2019s global and technology-driven economy, business will go wherever human capital can be found.\r\nFailure to reform our high-skilled immigration system is forcing American companies to outsource their innovation centers to countries like Canada or India.\r\nThe third area involves workers in the agriculture and construction sectors of our economy.\r\nWe need an easy-to-use guest worker program that will incentivize employers to follow the law by hiring legal workers, while also providing workers the flexibility and mobility to allow them to do their jobs more efficiently.\r\nThat said, we must ensure that employers, big and small, are full participants in an employments verification program so that only those here legally are able to work.\r\nLet me stop here.\r\nThese are important issues, and I commend your willingness to come together by launching the New American Economy Coalition in our state.\r\nI look forward to working with you in updating and reforming our country\u2019s immigration system.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/releases?ContentRecord_id=4D6DFCBC-C7F0-4869-B7C6-F8C0B05FB556"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.2585241347551346, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}