Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) is urging President Donald Trump to suspend the federal guest worker program for one year or until the U.S. economy recovers from the economic consequences of the coronavirus.

“My colleagues and I urge President Trump to suspend granting new guest worker visas for at least one year so that Americans are not forced to compete with foreign labor as our nation recovers,” Biggs told reporters.

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Congressman Biggs: “As we respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, it is important that we continue to look out for their economic welfare. More than 36 million Americans have filed for unemployment and, even as states and counties begin to reopen, jobs are scarce. American workers appreciate the value President Trump has placed on them during his time in office and will appreciate this action.”

Even this week, as unemployment numbers hit at Great Depression numbers and some analysts are predicting 25-30% unemployment, millions of guest workers, who are here legally, are employed in jobs that could be available to Americans. While it would be grossly unfair to penalize those that came here previously and played by the rules, the situation can be remedied by suspending the program for new workers until the U.S. economy is back on its feet.

Biggs isn’t the only GOP House member to back the proposal. Lance Gooden of Texas, a strong Trump supporter, is on board as well. Texas has many guest workers from across the southern border.

As the consequences of the virus dig deep into the American economy and culture, the nation will have to revisit some of its basic assumptions about immigration.

The nation as a whole backs stopping illegal immigration by large numbers. This has been a generally bipartisan consensus for decades, as it pertains to voters. Of course, Democrat officeholders have championed illegal immigration because they know those aliens will be dependent on state services and thus dependent on them. That will make it easier to economically coerce the illegals into voting for Democrats. It’s one of the ways they flipped California from red to blue over two decades ago. Their next target: Texas.

But in these hard economic times, when government at many levels seems as it does more harm than good by shutting down the entire economy and throwing millions out of work to combat a flu that very selectively targets its victims, the least government could do would be to look across a wide range of programs and ask: Are they benefitting Americans?

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In good economic times the guest worker program does benefit this nation. It ensures employers have the personnel they need to fulfill their goals. However, as countless firms and businesses close and others may start up to take their place, we do not have the luxury anymore (and perhaps for the foreseeable future) to invite workers from other nations to fill those slots.

GOP House members recognize this, the American people understand this, and soon the president may act on it. If he does it should be with an eye to starting the program again when the time is right. Though it seems that may not be for quite a while.