mr. holtz-eakin speak to it. do we not miss an opportunity to strengthen our economy by not allowing lbgt citizens to sponsor their partners as residency in this country, as a matter of fairness and an economic positive? >> from an economic point of view, economic productivity is productivity, and you want to bring all the opportunities into the marketplace. the provisions of the bill i am not familiar with, and the magnitudes, i cannot guess that. >> thank you both for your testimony. >> thank you. senator flake? >> thank you, and thank you for having this hearing. dr. holtz-eakin, congress took up this issue, the heritage foundation came up with a study with a headline that this would cost the taxpayers $2.6 trillion over some time. that study has now been discounted by quite a number of organizations. i know you have looked at that. what are your feelings on a study like that that purports these kinds of costs to the taxpayers? >> i will resist temptation to turn this into a graduate seminar, but i think the t

mr. holtz-eakin to speak to it. don't we miss out on the opportunity to strengthen our toonomy by not allowing lgbt sponsor their partners coming in the country. it is a matter if fairness and economic positivity. advantage ofo take all abilities to bring that into the marketplace. i'm not familiar with the magnitude involved. >> thank you. thank you both for your testimony. mr. chairman. thisanks for holding hearing, mr. chairman. when congress took this issue up in 2006, the heritage foundation came out with a study, a sensational headline that this would cost the taxpayers $2.60 trillion over some time. that has now been discounted by a number of organizations. what are your feelings on a study like that that purports these kind of costs to the taxpayers? toi resist the temptation put this in a seminar of research design. i have some reservations about that particular heritage steady. the heritage foundation has done a lot of good work, but first and foremost it leaves all the things that i think our very importa

mr. holtz-eakin, thank you for your testimony. it will help minnesota businesses and families alike. i want to thank the senators who have done this, getting us as far as we have gotten. mr. holtz-eakin, one of the most things i have most pleased about is what it does for agriculture, particularly in minnesota. minnesota is one of the biggest dairy producers in our nation. dairy farmers have not been able to access the work force they have needed for years. one program that allows farmers to get guest workers is open only to seasonal workers, and you cannot milk cows seasonally. you could, but you would get very uncomfortable cows. [laughter] i have been calling for this -- anyway. enough said. >> i used to be chairman of the senate agriculture committee. you are bringing back to my roots. >> vermont has a very great dairy-producing culture. i'm glad the gang of eight felt the same way. i've been calling for this to be fixed for years. we have heard testimony on the issue of productivity. it seems having access to a dependable legal work force has got to be a boom for various parts of

mr. holtz-eakin to it. do we not miss an opportunity to strengthen our economy by not citizens togt sponsor their partners as residency in this country, as a matter of fairness and an economic positive proof, from an economic point of view, economic productivity is productivity, and you want to bring all the opportunities into the marketplace. the provisions of the bill i am not familiar with, and the magnitudes, i cannot guess that. >> thank you both for your testimony. >> a thank you. senator flake? >> thank you, and think of reporting this hearing. -- holtz- eakin, eakin, congress took up this issue, heritage foundation came up with a study with a headline that this would cost the taxpayers $2.60 trillion over some time. that study has now been discounted by quite a number of organizations. i know you have looked at that. what are your feelings on a study like that that purports these kinds of costs to the taxpayers? >> i will resist temptation to turn this into a graduate seminar, but i think the top li