An ad hoc committee consisting of the leading demographic, economic and fiscal experts in the United States will conduct a study and prepare a report on the economic and fiscal impact of immigration. In its report, the committee will (1) summarize existing knowledge about the economic and fiscal impacts of immigration; (2) project immigration and related economic and fiscal trends to the year 2050, or present an analysis of projection scenarios representing best research on the topic; (3) discuss implications of the panel's findings for economic and fiscal policy, particularly with regard to expenditure and tax programs; and (4) identify gaps in our existing knowledge and in the data infrastructure.

The goal of the project is to lay the basis for a more informed and fact-based discussion of the issues surrounding current immigration into the United States among a wide range of audiences from policymakers to the general public. In carrying out its charge, the committee will address a list of questions about the impacts of immigration that may include:

--overall living standards and the macro economy

--wages and income of U.S. natives and immigrants

--the labor market broadly (e.g., to what extent does immigrant labor complement, and substitute for native employment)

--budgets and fiscal health at the federal, state and local levels; and

--inter-governmental fiscal dynamics (e.g., the distribution of the budget impact across federal, state and local entities)