I wrote my Senator JOHN CORNYN a few weeks agao and told him that I was laid off in 2003 while that company retained the H-1B visa workers and that I was against an increase. Here is what that jackass replied:
Dear Mr. XXX:
Thank you for contacting me about the Securing Knowledge Innovation and Leadership Act of 2006 (S. 2961). I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter.
Innovation is crucial to our growing economy. By investing in science and technology, we encourage innovation, thus energizing our economy. Groundbreaking ideas generated by innovation pay great dividends and improve the lives of Americans.
As the Senate continues its immigration debate, it is important to recognize that any comprehensive approach to reform will address the need for America to remain competitive in a global economy. The United States currently does not produce enough engineers to encourage healthy levels of innovation. China graduates four times as many engineers as the U.S., and within a few years approximately 90 percent of all scientists and engineers in the world will be living and working in Asia. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that between 2002 and 2012 there will be 2 million job openings in the U.S. in the fields of computer science, mathematics, engineering and the physical sciences. For the time being, foreign students are filling the United States' unmet need in these critical areas. But our current immigration policy – not our economy – forces them to return home because the U.S. does not offer enough high-tech work visas for them to continue to work in the United States and to encourage the innovation vital to economic growth.
Sound policy starts with retaining the foreign students who are educated here in the United States. S. 2961 would retain U.S.-educated students and use a market-based approach to promote competitiveness. This bill exempts from the annual H-1B cap any professional who has earned an advanced degree from an accredited U.S. university. It also exempts from the annual green card cap any U.S.-educated worker with an advanced degree. The bill raises the H-1B (specialty occupation) cap and creates a flexible system that adjusts with the market, preserving unused visas for the following year and treating immigrant visas (i.e. green card) the same way.
I introduced S. 2961 on May 2, 2006, and it was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee—of which I am a member—for further consideration. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent the interests of Texans in the United States, and you may be certain that I will keep your views in mind as I discuss S. 2961 and other relevant legislation with my Senate colleagues. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-2934
Fax: (202) 228-2856
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov
Don't bother.
Cornyn is bought and paid for.