Posted on 12/24/2015 3:08:50 PM PST by Isara
I had the opportunity to sit down yesterday with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) at a campaign event in Nashville and ask him several questions. One of the questions I asked was whether Senator Cruz still supported expanding the H-1B visa program, as he has in the past. Senator Cruz indicated that he no longer does, and you can see his explanation here
Ted Cruz explains why his view of H-1B visas has changed (Video)
Transcript:
RedState: Senator, I think the path to legalization issue has been beaten to death and I won’t go over it again. One of the things you have supported in the past is raising the ceiling on the number of H-1B visas. Is that something you still support?
Ted Cruz: It is not. And in this circumstance, there are changed circumstances, and anyone responds to changed circumstances. I have supported and I still support the original idea of the H-1B program which is to bring in very high skilled workers to produce jobs and economic growth. That’s a good thing, when you have more jobs and economic growth.
However, we have seen in recent months this program being abused over and over and over again. We’ve seen companies, blue chip names that we all know bringing in not high skill workers, but medium to low skill workers, and IT workers, and firing American workers and replacing them with foreign workers. And then, to add insult to injury, forcing the Americans who have just been fired to train their replacements. That is wrong, it is grotesque, it is offensive, it is a perversion of the program.
And so, like any rational person faced with changed circumstances, you change your position in response to how the facts have changed.
That’s why I’ve said that as President, I will impose a 180 day moratorium on the H-1B program, in order to carry out a comprehensive audit of the companies that have received H-1B visas to determine if they are abusing the program – if they are bringing in low skilled workers, if they’re firing American workers, if they’re perverting the program. Any company that has abused the program will be suspended from participating in it, and any company that has violated the criminal laws will be prosecuted.
You know, this is yet another manifestation of the lawlessness of the Obama administration. They don’t enforce the laws, the President decrees illegal and unconstitutional amnesty, but he’s also lawless with big companies that are abusing the H-1B program.
It’s one of the reasons I joined with Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) in introducing legislation to dramatically reform the H-1B program so that it can function as it’s intended to. To require, for example, an advanced degree, not just a bachelor’s degree, but a master’s or a PhD. To put a preference to U.S. universities. To require as a minimum salary $110,000, so that you’re not using it to bring in low cost foreign workers and replace American workers. To put in a 2 year hiatus from any company bringing in H-1Bs from laying off workers, so you gotta choose one or the other, but you can’t be laying people off at the same time you’re outsourcing.
All of these are reforms that are common sense I think to make the program work. And we need to make sure that our immigration laws prioritize American workers first, and as President, that’s what I’ll do.
Thank you for this update. Cruz’s original stance on H1B concerned me deeply. Good to know he is rational and reconsidered based on the abuse and current circumstances.
Merry Christmas!
People were arguing pretty vehemently that Cruz’s position hadn’t changed.
Had he said this 3 -4 months ago, it would have helped his numbers much more.
And yet some Freepers dump on Trump for changing positions.
Yeah a bit late in the game now to pull this type of “hail mary”.
Ain't that the truth.
I, too, am glad to see Cruz change his mind on this, and I truly hope, he's genuinely sincere on this point.
Im glad to see him come around on this issue. Too late for me to change my support for DT but it does make it easier to hope hes on the ticket.
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And, of course, he is for Renewable Fuel Standard (ethanol mandate), so governement can pick winners and losers.
Trump's Record on Free-market Issue: (from the Conservative Review)
Trump has a terrible record on free market issues. The only bright spot is the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing, but this glimmer is countermanded by his repeated support for bailing out Wall Street and the auto industry, and increased stimulus spending. Of particular concern is Trump's belief that the government can use eminent domain powers to seize private property in the name of private economic development. This comes as no surprise, given his support for using eminent domain to profit his own company.
Trump supported the Supreme Court’s 2005 decision in Kelo v. City of London, allowing public authorities to seize private land for economic development by private investors; Trump said, “I happen to agree with [the decision] 100 percent.” (National Review) This is no surprise given Trump’s attempt to use eminent domain in his own line of work. (Institute for Justice)
Trump supported President Obama’s 2009 stimulus, saying: “The word stimulus is probably not used in its fullest…you know, certain of the things that were given weren't really stimulus. They were pork, as we call it, or they were gifts to certain people. But overall, I think he's [President Obama] doing very well. You do need stimulus and you do have to keep the banks alive.” (CNN)
Trump supported TARP, saying, "You had to do something to shore up the banks, because ... you would have had a run on every bank." (CNN)
Trump supported the 2008 auto bailout, saying, “I think the government should stand behind them 100 percent. You cannot lose the auto companies. They’re great. They make wonderful products.” He also said that the federal government could “easily save the companies.” (Daily Caller)
Trump criticized the Federal Reserve’s intervention in the debt market, saying quantitative easing creates “phony numbers” that mislead the marketplace and “will not ultimately benefit the economy. The dollar will go down in value and inflation will start rearing its ugly head.” (CNBC)
Donald Trump has a history of using eminent domain to complete business deals. Multiple times Trump has supported the use of government agencies to take possession of homes and businesses for use in his private business plans. Eminent domain seizures are reserved only for public use of property rather than abuse by the government taking property from one individual and giving to another. (Washington Post)
Donald Trump has sought and received crony capitalist tax breaks for his commercial properties in New York. These tax breaks, and even an abatement, force the property taxes of other property owners to rise at the expense of the connected. Special treatment for one business or industry over another with the tax code conflicts with free market principles. (National Review)
In 2009, Trump supported Barack Obama's call for limits on the pay of executives. (CNN)
Iowa Ted and New York Ted just can’t agree on anything ...lol
It's not late in the game at all. The game hasn't even started. Sorry.
So did the GOP.
Why is Ted Cruz still a Republican? Why does he not become a Independent and depart from the cabal that is the GOP?
He doesn’t have a prayer to catch up to Trump...Sorry ;)
and he also supported the TPP before he got hammered by real conservatives.
Trump is making Cruz run to the right! And BOTH of them are better than either one of them.
Finally! I work for one of these IT companies and we are being let go by the thousands to be replaced by H1B workers with plans for more, maybe talk like this will slow it down.
Cruz is wobbly on this issue because his masters command him to be so.
It must be true because I heard it on FR.
What really perplexes me, is if one is true because I heard it on FR, how can the other be true too?
It's all so confusing when one allows even idiots to participate....
Stay strong for Cruz - we really need him.
Now for a short public service announcement to all on FR:
We need to ensure we don't get another Obama-like America Hater as the next President.
The best way to ensure that is to actively support a candidate as the next President.
I prefer Cruz and my money goes to his campaign, hence the Cruz link. If you like someone else, donate to him/her (find your own link to do it) and if you use FR and don't donate, then please don't complain about the welfare leeches or those who have Obama Phones because, functionally, you are no different than any other who enjoys the fruits of others' work for your own benefit.
PS - If you are one of those who cannot afford even a small donation to FR or a candidate, God Bless and happy FReeping!.....
GO CRUZ!! Keep it up Trump!!
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