IN THE NEWS - Bush Proposes Temporary Worker Program

IN THE NEWS - Bush Proposes Temporary Worker Program
By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Saturday, January 10, 2004

 

 
George Bush
Broacast: January 10, 2004

This is Steve Ember with In the News, in VOA Special English.

President Bush has proposed a temporary worker program for millions of people illegally in the United States. He announced the plan Wednesday at the White House. The United States is estimated to have at least eight-million illegal immigrants from Mexico and other countries. Immigration policy has been an area of tension between the United States and Mexico.

President Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox appeared close to an agreement in September of two-thousand-one. Then came the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, which increased concern about border controls.

The Department of Homeland Security would operate the temporary worker program. Mister Bush says all who take part must have a job -- or, if not living in the United States, a job offer.

Those approved for the program would not be punished for entering the country or working illegally. Workers would also be free to travel between the United States and their home countries. And they would have the same legal protections as American workers.

The temporary work permits would be good for three years and could be renewed. But President Bush says the program would have an end. Then, workers would be expected to return home unless they had been approved for citizenship¹ under the normal process.

President Bush says the reform plan is important for the economy and national security. He says it will help establish more control of the border.

Business groups say the plan would create a strong workforce² and reduce labor³ shortages. But labor unions say it would take jobs away from American workers. President Bush says the plan will require employers to make every effort to find an American worker first.

Some Mexican officials have expressed support for the plan. But immigrant rights activists⁴ are unhappy that it will not lead to citizenship. The plan is the president's first legislative⁵ proposal of this election year. It is widely described as an attempt to appeal to Hispanic voters.

White House officials invited about two-hundred Latino supporters to attend the announcement. Hispanics are now the largest ethnic⁶ group in the United States. People of Spanish-speaking ancestry⁷ are about thirteen percent of the population.

The plan requires approval from Congress. Some lawmakers from Mister Bush's own Republican Party are expected to criticize the idea. Conservatives say it pardons illegal immigration and illegal employment.

President Bush says the plan does not represent forgiveness. And, he says, it will not be unfair to people who have followed the legal process.

President Bush and President Fox are expected to discuss the plan at the Summit of the Americas meeting next week in Monterrey, Mexico.

In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Steve Ember.

1 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

2 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

6 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

7 ancestry   

n.祖先，家世

参考例句：

• Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。
• He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。