Senate Amnesty Bill Fallout

Ardent lobbyists of the Senate Amenesty Bill s2611 such as the Chamber of Commerce and Associated Builders and Contractors took a pause from celebrating the bill's passage to temper their enthusiasm a bit. It seems Senator Barack Obama inserted some language that could (gasp!) mandate that employers pay their "guestworkers" higher wages!

Business groups that back the bill say that section is far too broad and could result in a major expansion of the Depression-era law, which tends to ratchet up wages.

"There's a technical problem with the way the section has been written," said Randel Johnson, vice president for labor, immigration and employee benefits for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber supported the Senate bill, but said in a press release that the wage section needs "particular attention" in House-Senate negotiations on the bill.

Danielle Ringwood, lobbyist for Associated Builders and Contractors, which also backs a guest-worker program, agrees.

"If this language is not corrected (Davis-Bacon) could be expanded to include employees and workers on private construction," she said.

The provisions could even result in guest workers being paid more than similar American workers, some argue.
Excerpt from Senate Immigration Bill Could Expand 'Prevailing Wage' Laws

Cao's Blog has a good post and links to more information.
Hat tip to Spank That Donkey for the link to Investor's Business Daily.
And just for the heck of it check out Cranky Geg's View of Ted Kennedy & Osama Obama.