coalition for H-1B increase
coalition for H-1B increase
Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 2:06 AM
<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 1626 -- 1/24/2007 >>>>>
A coalition of odd bedfellows has formed to pressure Congress for a wide
range of guest worker visas.
An unlikely mix of Hispanics, farmers and high-tech businesses has
stepped up pressure on Congress to overhaul U.S. immigration laws,
boosting prospects for a bill that would allow more foreign
workers into the country.
One of the "high-tech businesses" that is playing a very big role is
Microsoft. This lobbyist makes it very clear that he wants an increase of
both H-1B visas and green cards.
U.S. companies are also clamoring for more H1B visas to allow
foreign software engineers and other skilled workers into the
country.
The 65,000 visas allotted for 2007 were taken by the end of May
last year, months before the end of the fiscal year in September,
said Jack Krumholtz, the head of Microsoft Corp.'s government
affairs office.
It is also difficult to get permanent U.S. residency for foreign
workers who would like to stay, he said.
The cheap labor lobby considers the 110th Congress to be far more
responsive to their demands for more guest worker visas. That's because
they feel the opposition to comprehensive immigration reform has been
weakened by the loss of Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) of Indiana and Rep.
J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ). As opposition has weakened, the pro-immigration side
of Congress has gained strength with the ascendancy of Democrats such as
Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
The man who replaced Hayworth makes no secret of the new reality in
Congress.
Freshman Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz. backs the McCain-Kennedy
approach and says he came to Washington expecting the measure
would have "a pretty easy" glide path with Republicans no
longer in power.
Since 1999 Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) has been pushing for unlimited H-1B
visas, and she has been a key player in previous H-1B legislation. Her
self-interest in the issue stems from her previous career as an immigration
attorney, and of course a steady flow of "donations" from California's
high-tech companies. Lofgren thinks that the time is ripe to push for
another escalation of visas.
"If we stop yelling at each other and just calmly and methodically
work through the issues... we'll come up with a practical bill
that will work and will last," Lofgren said.
It's not just the Democrats who are in on the deal. Lofgren has been
negotiating with Republicans but she won't tell which ones.
Lofgren, in an interview, said she's been approached by moderate
Republicans -- whom she declines to name -- eager to work with her.
"One Republican told me he's been more included by me than he was
in 10 years by his own leadership," she said.
A likely Lofgren ally is Jeff Flake (R-AZ). Bush's State of the Union
speech leaves no doubt which side he is on!
A potential Republican ally is Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake, a House
co-sponsor of the McCain-Kennedy bill, which served as the basis
for a comprehensive immigration bill passed by the Senate last year.
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http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=inDepthNews&storyID=2007-01-22T124517Z_01_N19409530_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-IMMIGRATION.xml&src=012207_0913
_FEATURES_in_depth
Pressure mounts for action on U.S. immigration laws
Mon Jan 22, 2007 7:45 AM ET
By Donna Smith
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An unlikely mix of Hispanics, farmers and high-tech
businesses has stepped up pressure on Congress to overhaul U.S. immigration
laws, boosting prospects for a bill that would allow more foreign workers
into the country.
Last year, the Republican-led House of Representatives derailed an
immigration bill because it would have given a path to citizenship for
those who entered the country illegally.
But supporters say chances are good that the new, Democratic-led Congress
will pass some form of immigration bill. President George W. Bush is likely
to renew his call for broad immigration legislation, including a guest
worker program, in his State of the Union address this week.
"I think prospects are good," said Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard
Durbin of Illinois.
Pressure to allow in more workers has been mounting since Congress passed a
law in September to fund hundreds of miles of new fences along the border
with Mexico and a series of raids against illegal workers last month by the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
On January 8, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Hispanic
Federation asked Democratic leaders to take action on immigration within
100 days, saying the raids "stirred further emotion and fear" in the
Hispanic communities.
Swift and Co., whose meatpacking plant was raided on December 12, said this
month that the raid could cost the company as much as $30 million.
And farm groups said farmers faced millions of dollars in losses this year
if a crackdown against illegal immigration continues without a balancing
program to bring in workers legally.
"There is a sense of urgency here," said Sen. Larry Craig, an Idaho
Republican who, along with California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein,
introduced a bill that would create a special program for illegal farm
workers to adjust their status.
U.S. companies are also clamoring for more H1B visas to allow foreign
software engineers and other skilled workers into the country.
The 65,000 visas allotted for 2007 were taken by the end of May last year,
months before the end of the fiscal year in September, said Jack Krumholtz,
the head of Microsoft Corp.'s government affairs office. It is also
difficult to get permanent U.S. residency for foreign workers who would
like to stay, he said.
"This is becoming for high-tech companies a huge retention issue,"
Krumholtz said. "We will start to see highly valued tech employees emigrate
back to their home countries."
NEW POLITICS
Last year, a bill passed the Senate that would have provided more visas for
highly skilled workers, combined tougher border enforcement measures with a
guest worker program, and given millions of illegal immigrants a chance to
earn U.S. citizenship.
But the bill was never considered by the House, where a solid group of
Republicans opposed it, calling it an amnesty for people who broke U.S.
law.
Instead the House passed enforcement-only legislation that further
criminalized illegal presence in the United States and tried to make tough
immigration enforcement an issue in the 2006 congressional elections.
Since then, some of the more outspoken opponents of the measure, including
including Republican Rep. John Hostettler of Indiana and Rep. J.D. Hayworth
of Arizona, lost their seats in midterm elections on November 11.
But Rep. Thomas Tancredo, a Colorado Republican who led the fight against
the Senate bill last year and who is exploring his chances as a potential
presidential candidate, says he will push to block any similar
comprehensive bill this year.
House Republican leaders, mindful of the deep split in their party over
immigration, say they see a chance for broad legislation, but it will need
to put tough border enforcement measures in place before any guest worker
program or other plans for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants
living in the United States.
"There is a path to a bipartisan solution and I think that there are a lot
of informal bipartisan discussions going on to try to strike that balance,"
said Florida Rep. Adam Putnam, a member of the House Republican leadership.
Proponents of a comprehensive bill, though confident of passage, still
expect new battles, including whether illegal immigrants should have the
chance to earn citizenship.
House Republican Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri said he would not support a
bill that offered citizenship for those who entered the country illegally.
But Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat who is heading the House
Judiciary panel on immigration, believes differences can be worked out.
"If we stop yelling at each other and just calmly and methodically work
through the issues... we'll come up with a practical bill that will work
and will last," Lofgren said.
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http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/111460.html
Taking the reins in immigration debate
Democrat Lofgren hopes for consensus on key House panel.
By Dave Montgomery - McClatchy Newspapers
Published 12:00 am PST Monday, January 22, 2007
WASHINGTON -- As an immigration lawyer in Northern California, Zoe Lofgren
helped struggling immigrant farmworkers keep their families together and
stay in the United States.
Now, years later, the Democratic congresswoman from San Jose is poised to
take over the House subcommittee on immigration. Those experiences from the
front lines likely will resonate anew as she helps direct the next
congressional debate over the nation's shadow population of illegal
immigrants.
With her liberal credentials and pro-immigrant views, Lofgren embodies what
many believe is a new day in the immigration debate as Congress, now under
Democratic control, again confronts one of the nation's most contentious
issues. The shifting dynamics are strikingly evident in the House of
Representatives, which was the burial ground for immigration legislation
when Republicans were in charge.
During the last session of Congress, conservative House Republicans
effectively killed President Bush's call for comprehensive legislation
that, among other things, would grant eventual legal status to millions of
undocumented immigrants. Proponents of the failed legislation -- as well as
Bush himself -- believe the plan now has a substantially improved chance of
passage in the Democrat-controlled Congress.
"I like to believe that if everybody can lower their voice, just stop
yelling and go through the issues one by one, that we can come to
consensus," said Lofgren, whose subcommittee will serve as a starting point
for the immigration debate. "I have this hope that we can produce a
practical and bipartisan bill that gets broad support."
Lofgren, in an interview, said she's been approached by moderate
Republicans -- whom she declines to name -- eager to work with her.
"One Republican told me he's been more included by me than he was in 10
years by his own leadership," she said.
A potential Republican ally is Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake, a House co-sponsor
of the McCain-Kennedy bill, which served as the basis for a comprehensive
immigration bill passed by the Senate last year. Senior Republicans last
week removed Flake from his seat on the House Judiciary Committee, and he
believes his stance on immigration may have been a contributing factor.
"I have a contrary view to my own party," Flake said. "I was an easy
target."
Flake said he hopes to work with Lofgren and other "reasonable" Democrats.
Proponents of an immigration overhaul, he said, have "a better shot than
we've had in a long time."
Nevertheless, Republican opponents of Bush's plan -- which includes a
controversial temporary guest worker program -- say they intend to battle
as aggressively as ever, even though they're now in the minority.
"One big hell of a fight," said Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., who heads a
diminished anti-immigration coalition, in projecting House Republicans'
strategy in the new Congress. "At least, I hope it's a fight. I hope it's
not just a rollover."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and key Democrats such as
Lofgren have embraced some of the main concepts of Bush's immigration
proposal. But Democrats by no means are of one mind, ensuring friction when
lawmakers begin addressing the issue.
One trouble spot is the proposed guest worker program being pushed by
American businesses to bring in thousands of foreign workers each year to
address what they say is a chronic shortage in low and unskilled labor.
The 53-union AFL-CIO, which helped Democrats take over Congress in the
November elections, is pushing to defeat the guest worker program on the
grounds that it could take jobs from U.S. workers.
Some conservative freshman Democrats also may be as tough in calling for a
crackdown on illegal immigration as the Republicans they unseated. Rep.
Allen Boyd of Florida, a leader of the conservative Democratic organization
known as the Blue Dogs, said colleagues in that group are "all over the
map" on immigration.
Freshman Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., who defeated Republican J.D.
Hayworth, a leader of anti-immigration forces in the House, backs the
McCain-Kennedy approach and says he came to Washington expecting the
measure would have "a pretty easy" glide path with Republicans no longer in
power.
But after hearing misgivings among some of his fellow freshmen, Mitchell
said, he's lowering his expectations.
"Just because Democrats are in," he said, "I wouldn't say it's a slam
dunk."
Lofgren said the House version of the McCain-Kennedy bill will be the
starting point to begin building consensus.
Sponsored by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., the
bill would grant legal status to undocumented immigrants who pay fines and
back taxes, meet English and civics requirements and pass criminal
background checks. It also proposes a guest worker program to bring up to
400,000 foreign workers into the country each year.
The mother of two grown children whose husband, like herself, is a lawyer,
Lofgren brings a firsthand familiarity to the issue that few of her
colleagues can match.
She handled immigration issues as a staff assistant to Rep. Don Edwards,
her predecessor, in the 1970s, and specialized in immigration law. She also
taught immigration law at the University of Santa Clara School of Law.
Although Lofgren says it's too early to forecast the details of an eventual
immigration bill in the House, she clearly comes down on the side of those
who believe that the more than 11 million illegal immigrants in the country
must be placed on a path toward legalization.
"We can have all kinds of discussions about how we get them out of the
shadows and into the sunlight," she said, "but ultimately, that's got to
happen."
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