[ti:Trump Supports Bill to Cut Legal Immigration] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:01.92]President Donald Trump gave his support Wednesday to a bill [00:06.46]that would cut legal immigration to the United States by half. [00:11.14]The bill would reduce legal immigration to the U.S. from the current level [00:16.88]of 1 million a year to 500,000 by the end of the 10th year. [00:23.56]It would also give a priority to immigrants based on their education, [00:28.64]job offers, English-language skills, and success in creating businesses. [00:35.36]The bill is similar to proposals Trump made as a candidate for president. [00:40.77]During the 2016 campaign, [00:43.73]Trump often said immigration was costing Americans jobs [00:48.68]and keeping pay down for those with jobs. [00:52.92]Republican Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia [00:59.40]appeared with Trump at the White House to introduce the bill. [01:04.48]Trump said the bill he is supporting would help Americans better compete for jobs. [01:10.72]"Among those hit the hardest in recent years have been immigrants [01:15.20]and, very importantly, minority workers competing for jobs against brand-new arrivals. [01:21.24]And it has not been fair to our people, to our citizens, to our workers." [01:27.64]The bill would keep the current immigration preferences for spouses [01:31.24]and young children of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents. [01:38.88]But it would do away with preferences for other relatives [01:43.16]such as grandparents or adult children. [01:46.56]The bill would also end the Diversity Immigrant Visa program, [01:52.08]known as "diversity lottery." [01:55.92]The program was created to increase immigrants [01:59.64]from countries underrepresented in the United States. [02:04.08]Cotton said it has been poorly managed. [02:08.40]The bill would also limit the number of permanent refugees [02:12.49]admitted to the U.S. to 50,000 a year. [02:17.40]Cotton said that is in line with the 13-year average. [02:23.04]Passage of the immigration bill is far from a sure thing. [02:28.60]The bill would require passage in the House of Representatives and the Senate. [02:35.36]In the Senate, the bill would need 60 out of 100 votes. [02:41.12]That will be difficult given opposition [02:44.24]from groups that see immigration as positive for America [02:48.76]and for businesses that depend on immigrant workers. [02:53.60]Senator Lindsey Graham is a Republican from South Carolina. [02:58.76]He tweeted that the proposed immigration bill would be bad for his state. [03:05.68]"If proposal were to become law... devastating to SC (South Carolina) economy [03:11.76]which relies on this immigrant workforce." [03:15.60]Groups that favor immigration quickly criticized the bill. [03:21.00]John Feinblatt is president of a group called New American Economy. [03:26.96]It represents 500 mayors and business leaders who support legal immigration. [03:34.56]He said cutting immigration in half would "result in fewer jobs for Americans." [03:41.52]But Senator Cotton said change is needed in a system [03:45.96]that now brings one million immigrants to the U.S. each year. [03:50.96]"That's like adding the population of Montana every single year; [03:54.52]adding the population of Arkansas every three years." [03:58.92]I'm Jill Robbins. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM