One of the critical moments in the debate over Gang of Eight amnesty legislation in the Judiciary Committee last week was a deal struck by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to “reform” the H-1B visa program in order to gain Hatch’s support for the bill. Senator Hatch, who has authored several bills to expand the H-1B guest worker program, made it clear that these changes were necessary to gain his vote for the bill.
The Hatch-Schumer deal eliminates the few protections for American workers written into the bill, making it easier for employers to discriminate against skilled American workers. (Hatch-Schumer 2nd Degree) Specifically, the Hatch-Schumer Amendment:
- Changes the formula that determines how many H-1B workers are admitted annually in order to admit H-1B workers at a faster pace. Originally, S.744 increased the cap from 65,000 to a range of 110,000 – 180,000, with the specific number calculated through a formula based on the number of petitions filed during the previous year and certain unemployment rates. The Hatch amendment changed the range of H-1B workers that may be admitted each year to a starting point of 115,000 – 180,000 plus an additional number determined by how quickly the cap is reached during the year and an increase contingent on certain unemployment data. If the base is 180,000 and is filled within 45 days, another 20,000 H-1B visas are issued, making the true maximum cap 200,000 H-1B visas per year.
- Allows DHS to grant work authorization to spouses of H-1B workers regardless of whether the worker’s home country offers reciprocal treatment. Originally, S.744 allowed DHS to grant work authorization to spouses only if the sending country permitted reciprocal treatment.
- Eliminates the requirement placed on all H-1B employers in S.744 that they attest that they have not and will not displace U.S. workers beginning 90 days before to 90 days after the visa petition is filed. Instead, the Hatch Amendment provides that only “H-1B skilled worker dependent employers” and “H-1B dependent employers” must attest that they have not displaced U.S. workers within 90 days before and after, or 180 days before and after, respectively.
- Eliminates the requirement placed on all H-1B employers in S.744 that they attest they have offered the job to any U.S. workers who applies and is equally or better qualified. Instead, the Hatch Amendment provides that only H-1B dependent employers must satisfy this requirement.
- Allows non H-1B dependent employers to outsource their H-1B workers for a $500 fee per worker. It also allows certain H-1B dependent employers that are universities, nonprofit research organizations, or health care businesses to outsource their H-1B workers for a $500 fee per worker.
At the same time, the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected four amendments to the Hatch-Schumer deal offered by Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Senator Grassley’s amendments would have restored protections eliminated by the Hatch-Schumer amendment for American workers in several ways. First, the committee rejected an amendment that would require all employers to make a good faith effort to recruit U.S. workers and offer jobs to equally or better qualified U.S. workers. (Grassley 2nd Degree #1) Second, the committee voted down a provision to prevent employers from displacing U.S. workers, particularly women, when hiring H-1B workers. (Grassley 2nd Degree #2) Next, the committee voted against an amendment that would have eliminated the granting of unlimited green cards to foreign graduates with advanced STEM degrees if fewer Americans obtain advanced STEM degrees than when the bill is enacted. (Grassley 2nd Degree #3) Finally, the committee denied an amendment that would require all employers to pay Level 2 (mean) wages for H-1B workers. (Grassley 2nd Degree #4)
While the Hatch-Schumer deal may have won over the Utah Republican’s vote, it has drawn the ire of labor unions, casting doubt on whether they will continue supporting the amnesty bill. “[L]et’s be clear: Senator Orrin Hatch’s H-1B amendments are unambiguous attacks on American workers,” charged AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. (AFL-CIO Press Release, May 21, 2013) “Hatch’s amendments change the bill so that high tech companies could functionally bring in H-1B visa holders without first making the jobs available to American workers. Hatch’s amendments would mean that American corporations could fire American workers in order to bring in H-1B visa holders at lower wages.” (Id.) “If the hard work of America’s tech workers is ever to pay off, we need to craft policy that benefits the people who actually write code, rather than just rewarding industry honchos who write checks to politicians,” Trumka continued. (Id.) We expect better, we deserve better, and if necessary, on the floor of the U.S. Senate, we will get better,” he concluded. (Id.)
8 Comments
First our government decided to pull most of our manufacturing here in the United States and sent most of manufacturing to China. This so called world trade would allow more opportunities for other countries to prosper, when in fact it took work from our lower middle class and gave it mostly to China and these people were layed off
without the government doing anything to help them financially to education to better jobs. Instead our own american citizens in those manufacturing positions were pushed to the lower income class. A lot of these people still are unemployed. Now they want to give illegal aliens amnesty so the citizens will pay higher taxes to pay for the illegal aliens education, while they are not illigable for that free education themselves. There is something wrong in our government caring more about other countries and the illegal aliens, then the do about the citizens of the United States. This is one big reason we no longer are at the top and continue to keep falling lower and lower in our economy.
PLease somebody enlighten me….since when highly specialized professions are Unionized!!!!!! Really??
A Mirade of Them are John
Boeing’s aerospace engineers, much of the professionals working in gov’t,, teachers’ unions, etc, etc, etc….
AND here’s the mantra:
“The goal is NOT to Find an American worker!”
http://www.youtube.com/programmersguild
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCbFEgFajGU
If you want more read this book
False Prophets of False Profits
http://www.amazon.com/Prophets-Profits-Knowledge-Foundation-America/dp/0984474609
FAIR is run by very nice people with good and noble intentions.
However, they were founded in 1979. Since this date, our immigration situation – both legal and illegal – has exponentially worsened each year. Perhaps it’s time that FAIR rethinks its strategy.
My own solution is the change Congress with pro-FAIR candidates.
It would not be hard to identify key geographic sectors where a FAIR-supported candidate will win. It is important to remember that more than 10 years ago in the most liberal state of the union – California – citizens voted overwhelmingly on a statewide voter initiative to end government funding to illegals – Prop 209 (later overturned by the courts- why?). So, it is clear that Americans of all ages and nationalities support the work of FAIR.
It is time to actually do something about it – changing Congress is the only way, and the most effective way to do this. Otherwise, FAIR will simply be what it is now – a reactionary and rather ineffective organization. It’s time to get on the offensive, and stop playing defense.
Tom
Good Point Tom
FAIR does depend on donations too….so that type of lobbying is gonna take BIG BUCKS. The open border pundits hold all the chips there.
Maybe, one candidate at a time, with donations focused would be a good start. Let’s pray it would mushroom into something BIG later and as quick as possible too
Speaking of Sell Out of American Workers
Besides the 150,000 of the WORLD’s BRIGHTEST engineers, mostly butcher axed from Space [NASA] and American soil based automotive headquarters….now the 100,000 engineers [we have left?….LOL] in the DOD to be furloughed by 8 July 2013. Ohhhh….God forbid we butcher axe the defense contractors, foreigners like BAE might get butcher axed too from our American federal tax base. Americans must go.
“…Last week, British defense contractor BAE Systems and the European conglomerate EADS, maker of the Airbus line of passenger planes, announced a plan to merge. The combined entity would balance the high-growth, volatile commercial-aviation segment with the reliable but declining defense-contracting business. The result would look a lot like Boeing (NYS: BA) , which gets about half of revenue from defense and half from its passenger planes….”
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/09/16/new-threats-disrupt-the-defense-industry/
You must know by now in the science profession since WWII and the German engineers/technicians and foreign scientists and students recruited………………………. that came here we would have never made it to the moon and the electronics to be a leader……..unless what you do is support or IT work……………….