Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Women and Families

3/18/13 AILA Doc. No. 13031246. Congress, Family Immigration

On 03/18/13 at 2:00pm Eastern Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) will preside over the Judiciary Committee for a hearing: “How Comprehensive Immigration Reform Should Address the Needs of Women and Families.”

Witness List:

Ai-jen Poo
Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance
New York, NY

Dr. Karen Panetta
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tufts University
Medford, MA

Mee Moua
President and CEO, Asian American Justice Center
Washington, DC

Susan Martin
Donald G. Herzberg Professor of International Migration, Georgetown University
Washington, DC

Jennifer Ng’andu
Director, Health and Civil Rights Policy Project, National Council of La Raza
Arlington, VA

2:00pm Senator Hirono (D-HI) begins her opening statement on why addressing the needs of women and families is so important in any comprehensive immigration reform bill.

2:07pm Senator Grassley (R-IA) begins his opening statement and introduces the two minority witnesses: Ms. Martin who will speak on enhancing family immigration system by setting priorities and determining what benefits America will incur from different kinds of immigration and Dr. Panetta will discuss why H-1B visas are hurting American workers.

2:12pm The witnesses begin their statements.
2:20pm Ai-jen Poo speaks on the difficulties women will have providing proof of employment, the vulnerability of women in the workforce and the need to include protections for women workers, the need to recognize women as integral to the American economy.
2:26 Dr. Panetta of IEEE speaks against increasing the H-1B program and for increasing the STEM visa program.
2:31pm Ms. Moua speaks on the need for immigration reform should address the needs for immigrant women and families.
2:38pm Ms. Martin speaks on the findings of the bipartisan Commission of Immigration Reform of 1997.
2:47pm Ms. Ng'andu speaks on the myths regarding immigrants and benefit use and the need to include immigrants in aspects of the Affordable Care Act.

2:54pm Sen. Hirono begins her questions.
Q: How should we make sure to include women in the legalization and path to citizenship?
Poo A: Allow people to include affidavits to prove employment and presence in order to ensure that those that work in the paperless economy are able to participate. Allowing for flexibility in the documents required.

3:22pm Senator Franken (D-MN) addresses how unaccompanied minor children are being treated in the immigration system and the suffering caused by lack of representation by an attorney.

3:40pm Sen. Sessions questions whether those who have chosen to immigrate to this country should have the right to bring a sibling or parent to the United States as well.