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Labor Sec. Seth Harris on How to Reduce the Deficit by $200 Billion

Filipa Rodrigues for KUT News

This week Congress will take up what some say is a long overdue reform of national immigration policy. The U.S. has been slow to recover from the recession, and U.S. Secretary of Labor Seth Harris says this overhaul could be a boon for the economy. 

"This bill is going to drive economic growth in our country. There is a Congressional Budget Office report that just came out that said we are going to reduce the deficit by $200 billion in the first 10 years of this bill and $700 billion in the second 10 years. That's because we'll have much increased economic growth in our society if we pass comprehensive immigration reform." 

We spoke with Harris about what's needed for a truly comprehensive immigration reform, the challenges faced by unemployed workers across the country and the role of education in providing a skilled workforce in the future.

David entered radio journalism thanks to a love of storytelling, an obsession with news, and a desire to keep his hair long and play in rock bands. An inveterate political junkie with a passion for pop culture and the romance of radio, David has reported from bases in Washington, London, Los Angeles, and Boston for Monitor Radio and for NPR, and has anchored in-depth public radio documentaries from India, Brazil, and points across the United States and Europe. He is, perhaps, known most widely for his work as host of public radio's Marketplace. Fulfilling a lifelong dream of moving to Texas full-time in 2005, Brown joined the staff of KUT, launching the award-winning cultural journalism unit "Texas Music Matters."
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