Dianne Feinstein: “If I may conclude my discussion, and then I will yield the floor to Senator Craig. He mentioned raisins. The last time I…”

“If I may conclude my discussion, and then I will yield the floor to Senator Craig. He mentioned raisins. The last time I looked, it took 40,000 workers in California to harvest the raisin crop in 4 different counties. Most of these are illegals. Most of these have done it year after year. They also go from crop to crop to crop, as we know. The key is to take care of, in my view, the people who are already here and working and are a part of this. The demand for the agricultural jobs comes every time the employer sanctions are carried out. Then suddenly the agricultural industry says we are for bringing more people in from other countries. I think we have to find a way to have a workforce that is known, identifiable, reasonably and well paid, that can get housing, can send their children to school, that work in this industry. Probably one-half of the agricultural workforce--I would say 600,000 workers--is illegal. These are the 600,000 who I believe we should be concerned with--not opening the border to bring in more but to find a way that they then can become a responsible part of the workforce. That is where I am, because I admit that is a need. This bill does not do that. This bill sets up a different program and does not relate to people who have been here for years working in agriculture. They may be very good citizens. They probably are. Some of them own their homes, they have children, they are responsible. They have a tough life, true. I think this can be handled.…”