Posted on 01/20/2015 4:24:14 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
Offers amendment to increase H-1B visas to help improve, retain high-skilled labor force
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) today presented an amendment to the Gang of Eight immigration bill that would improve our nation’s legal immigration system by increasing high-skilled temporary worker visas, called H-1B visas, by 500 percent. The measure would effectively address the needs of our nation’s high-skilled workforce by helping meet the growing demand for workers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. It will also make block grants available to states to promote STEM education efforts and increase domestic STEM professionals. The committee voted against the amendment 4 to 14 with every Democrat voting against it on a party-line vote.
Legal immigration is a fundamental pillar of our nation's heritage, and I was pleased today to offer legislation that would have improved and expanded legal immigration by dramatically increasing the cap for high-tech temporary worker visas. This amendment would not only improve the current system, but would also encourage economic growth and create new jobs in America. There is currently a serious shortage of workers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, yet every year we send thousands of high-tech graduate students back to their home countries to start businesses and create jobs. This makes no sense. I’m disappointed in the committee’s vote to reject expanding high-tech immigration. Although the Gang of Eight's bill makes a modest step towards improving high-tech immigration, it does not go nearly far enough. There is no reason to arbitrarily cap high-tech visas at 110,000 when these jobs are going unfilled. We need economic growth here and now.”
Sen. Cruz’s amendment would:
Immediately increase the H-1B cap by 500 percent from 65,000 to 325,000.
• To truly fix our broken immigration system and take into account our nation’s economic needs, we must put more emphasis on increasing employment-based immigration. (EEE's comments in red - No mention of reducing the size, scope, and power of Fedzilla, which would unleash jobs on its own). There is a current shortage of qualified high-skilled workers in the U.S., with an estimated 230,000 advanced-degree STEM jobs going unfilled by 2018. Shortage caused by the feds sticking their grimy paws in the economy and picking winners and losers.
• Additionally, more H-1B workers mean more jobs for American workers – according to a study by the American Enterprise Institute, for every additional 100 H-1B workers, 183 jobs are created for U.S. citizens. How? What was this study based on and who funded it?
Help retain the high-skilled workers that are trained in the U.S. by allowing “dual intent.” What exactly is this?
• This would allow foreign students at U.S. colleges and universities to enter the U.S. on a temporary H-1B visa if they intend to get a Green Card once they complete their studies. This is Roman-style suicide for any nation
• Currently, about 300,000 students come to America annually to be educated, but are required to return home upon completing their education. Why can't they get edumacated in their own crapholes and improve their country's way of life?
Create block grants for states to promote STEM education in their public schools by raising H-1B fees. More borrowing and spending that we can't afford. I thought Cruz was a fiscal conservative?
• These block grants will encourage educating our children in these high demand fields, opening more doors of opportunity to future generations. According to the Joint Economic Committee, between 2010 and 2020, demand for STEM graduates is expected to grow by 17 percent, while employment for those graduates will increase only 14 percent, partly because American graduates are not available or qualified to fill these jobs.
• The block grant program would be funded by raising H-1B fees from $750 to $1,250 for businesses with fewer than 25 employees, and from $1,500 to $2,500 for those with 25 or more employees.
In some positions yes but not skilled DBAs responsible for the largest infrastructures in the US at the largest financial firms in the US. Once upon a time the building of homes was considered skilled labor. Sheet rock, roofing, siding, gutters etetcthose homes were built to last several generations with little issue. Now it is imported from Mexico inspected per “code” and lucky that a home lasts more than 60 years anymore. What was once a job a middle income earner could make a living at is now seen as “unskilled” There are many jobs now running this same course because Congress and our laws are falling more in line with corporate interests vs national best interests
Thread heating up!
I do stand corrected if that is the case and will allow someone the opportunity to change or adopt new positions. For me this isn’t flip flopping it is changing a fundamental view through words followed up by action. I’ll watch closely to see where he stands with this now.
Shame on me for not thoroughly noticing that
Aha. Shame on me. I didn’t check the date!
God bless and keep you, dearest xzins!
“Increase the H1-B’s by 500 percent?Why would any American kid want to go to college with the job market swamped with foreign workers?”
Foreign workers willing to work at a way lower pay...
No! Scratch another candidate.
Many American kids are spending $100,000 plus for a 4 year education now. Cruz is hoping when they get out that all their jobs will be occupied.
It turns out that Cruz does not get it at all.
See post #80
Wow!
So Cruz drank the kool-aid too?
Where is our Le Pen?
It’s going to take a woman to save this country since every worthless male politician is a hack and sell-out on the GOP.
Either that or this country will be destroyed. We’ve been on that path for decades now anyways.
Ted Cruz promoting legal and opposing illegal is not something to start blubbering about.
Do any of you out there understand that the flow of legal immigration can never be more than 1/1000th or less of the illegals?
It’s the difference between standing on one corner, and yelling “Free Stuff!” vs on the other corner yelling “Come stand in line to fill out these papers and take this test!”
Every anti Cruz post on here is suspect.
I have always liked Ted Cruz. But, I always had one reservation. I never liked his looks. Maybe now I have some justification for that feeling.
Yeah, like the 9-11 hijackers! I don’t see how anyone can possibly deny the over staying of visas is a huge part of the illegal immigration problem.
Does he really? That is very disappointing if it’s accurate.
Wow—that Ted Cruz clip is really important and really damning.
The one million legal immigrants a year are what are killing us and what destroyed America.
Massive, unending, mostly third world LEGAL immigration is why the GOP has lost its ability to elect a national ticked.
That’s “ticket”
If you consider 40 million LEGAL third world immigrants a drop in the bucket since the 1965 immigration bill passed, you are obtuse, or have an agenda.
100% false.
Though we’re not destroyed yet, what is coming close to doing it is the media and public schools.
Not legal immigration.
Terrorism and illegal immigration are two separate problems each requiring their own solution.
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