Dem Rep. Escobar: If You’re Worried About Inflation, You Should Want Work Permits for Migrants in Spending Bill

During an interview aired on Thursday’s “PBS NewsHour,” Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) argued that people concerned about inflation should want the productivity boost that will come from provisions for work permits for illegal immigrants in the Build Back Better reconciliation bill.

Host Judy Woodruff asked, “But very quickly, again, on the right, from Republicans, you have the argument this is no time to be giving special benefits to immigrants, when American citizens are dealing with inflation and other challenges in the workforce. How do you answer that?”

Escobar responded, “You know, if my Republican colleagues think that there is a labor shortage — and, Judy, what we have — we are seeing unemployment numbers trending and almost at pre-pandemic levels — then they should welcome the ability for migrants, immigrants who have been living in our communities for decades, they should welcome them having access to work permits. If they’re concerned about inflation, as we all are, then we want to get productivity back up. That means that this will help in that capacity as well. At the end of the day, Judy, the unfortunate reality is, that most of my Republican colleagues actually prefer chaos over solutions.”

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