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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship subcommittee, applauded the immigration reform principles unveiled by President Bush Wednesday, saying they largely mirror the bill he introduced in July. Cornyn’s bill, the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2003 (S. 1387), was the first comprehensive legislation proposed after the terror attacks of Sept. 11. His bill played a key role in restarting the dialogue on implementing much needed immigration reform. And with the unveiling of the President’s principles, Cornyn says, the opportunity to pass legislative reforms “has not been better since September 11.”"I want to congratulate President Bush on speaking courageously and forthrightly on the need to reform our immigration laws and articulating important principles that he thinks should be included in any action that Congress may take on this important issue,” Cornyn said. “I urge Congress to take up the President’s call for action on immigration reform at the soonest possible time, and I would hope that the basic principles that the President has spoken of—which I believe are contained in the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2003—will be passed into law as soon as possible and sent to the President’s desk for his signature.” Sen. Cornyn’s bill would require undocumented workers already in the U.S. to apply, in conjunction with their employers, for guest worker status within the first year of the program’s enactment. And in subsequent years, workers can apply only from their home countries for up to a year at a time for a maximum of three years in the program before returning to their home countries. the proposal, Cornyn said, “is not a guaranteed path to residency or citizenship—and it is not a granting of amnesty.” But after three years of successfully complying with the program, he said, an immigrant can apply for Legal Permanent Residency (LPR). "The fact is that immigration reform and homeland and border security go hand and hand. Indeed they are two sides to the same coin, and if we’re going to be serious about border security, and if we’re going to be serious about homeland security, then we must deal with the fact that between eight to 10 million people are currently living inside our borders and came here illegally,” Cornyn said. “We need to find a way to get them out of the shadows and onto our tax roles. America needs the labor of these hard working immigrants, as America has always benefited from the contributions of immigrant populations over the course of this nation’s history.”Highlights of Sen. Cornyn’s Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2003 • The Secretaries of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State will create guest worker programs with eligible foreign countries that enter into agreements with the U.S. to develop standards of enrollment, procedures for providing health care and training of workers, and monitor information regarding the departure and return of workers. •Undocumented individuals currently in the U.S. may apply for the guest worker program within 12 months after the date of enactment in conjunction with a U.S. employer. •Workers who apply must show proof of residency in the U.S. by date of enactment, and they will be provided a photo ID. They will be able to travel across borders while they are guest workers in the United States. •Undocumented immigrants in the U.S. who do not sign up for the guest worker program within the initial 12 month period after the date of enactment will be subject to deportation. All applicants to the guest worker program will have to apply from their home country following the initial 12 month period.•Individuals may work in the U.S. on a seasonal or non-seasonal basis. Seasonal workers are authorized to stay nine months at a time. Non-seasonal workers are authorized a full 12 months, not to exceed 36 months total. •In addition, this bill addresses the need for better border and homeland security by requiring undocumented workers to register with the Department of Homeland Security and by implementing an entry-exit control system for temporary workers. •Employers seeking temporary guest workers must apply with the Labor Department and must provide specific information about the nature of the work and the wages to be paid. The employer must attest that there are insufficient workers to perform these jobs and that hiring guest workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of U.S. workers. •The Cornyn legislation remedies failures and exploitations of past immigration programs. Guest workers would have portability of employment and could work wherever they find a job, rather than in one sector of the economy. They would be able to report exploitation and abuse without fear of being deported, and have full access to purchase health services. They would then return to their countries and families with skills and income.