Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 25, 1995 TAG: 9503270030
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWAYNE YANCEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Goodlatte is one of 17 House members recently named to a task force on immigration reform that is charged with drafting a bill to crack down on illegal immigration and find ways to force illegal immigrants already here to leave the country.
The "task force" appellation is relatively new to Congress. House Speaker Newt Gingrich increasingly is bypassing the committee structure and turning to specially appointed task forces to deal with some issues.
Goodlatte stands out from other members of the immigration task force in two ways. He's one of only two members who also are on the House Judiciary Committee, which ultimately will have to deal with whatever legislation the task force proposes.
He's also one of the few members not from a border state. But immigration law was one of Goodlatte's legal specialities when he was in private practice in Roanoke before he was elected to Congress in 1992.
"Bob went to the leadership and told them he wanted to be part of it," said top aide Tim Phillips.
The task force is expected to wrap up its work before summer.
Goodlatte also is sponsoring the National Right-to-Work Act, which would eliminate federal laws requiring mandatory collection of union dues from all workers as part of collective bargaining agreements.
In the past, the Right-to-Work Act has been sponsored by Rep. Dick Armey, R-Texas, and routinely has met defeat in a Democratic-controlled House. But now that the Republicans are in the majority and Armey is the House majority leader, he's turned over sponsorship of the bill to Goodlatte.
The act, strongly backed by business and opposed by unions, is not expected to come up on the House agenda until later this year or perhaps even next year.
by CNB