Harris Miller: They're "out to get me"

Date: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 2:00 PM

*** H-1B NEWSLETTER ***

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Harris Miller gave a speech in Bangalore on March 15, 2001. His most
interesting commentary is on the impending reduction of the H-1B limit to
65,000 in 2004. He said that it will be a very tough battle to get it
raised, ESPECIALLY IF UNEMPLOYMENT GOES UP! He left no doubt that he is
willing to fight to keep the limit as high as possible regardless of it's
affect on American workers.

Note also that Harris Miller is a globalist that works with the WTO. There
should be no doubt that H-1B is a globalist issue.

Most of his statements consist of the usual propaganda but he was right
about one thing: "The immigration opponents are out to get me, and many of
you." And just to remind all of you what he looks like here is his smug
picture: http://www.zazona.com/ShameH1B/images/photos/miller.jpg

Here are excerpts from his speech:

http://www.indiamarkets.com/imo/industry/computer/computerfea81.asp

A passage to the Internet - economic health, public policy and the networked
world
Bangalore, March 15, 2001

Harris N Miller, President, ITAA, the ‘big brother’ of Dewang Mehta, was in
Bangalore to talk to IT companies here about the slowdown of the US
economy.Harry Miller is serving as the President of the Information
Technology Association of America (ITAA) since 1995. He is also the
President of World Information Technology and Services (WITSA). He has
served for four years in the United states House of Representatives on the
Immigration Subcommittee, and spent ten years representing various US
business interests to promote a more generous immigration policy.

Immigration Policy
As many of you know, long before becoming President of ITAA in 1995, I
worked in the area of business immigration. I served for four years in the
United States House of Representatives on the immigration Subcommittee, and
spent ten years representing various US business interests to promote a more
generous immigration policy. ITAA and I have been in the forefront of
advocating the freer movement of skilled personnel around the world,
including advocating a major increase in the so-called H-1 B cap, which
currently allows 195,000 temporary skilled foreign workers to come to the US
annually. In recent years, approximately 60 per cent of H-1 B's have gone to
IT workers, and among that 60 per cent, the highest percentage come from
India.

Let me give you an assessment of the current state of play regarding H-1
B's. We are expecting that the 195,000 number will be high enough for this
year and the next two years. The previous cap of 115,000 was not enough, and
in the previous two years, the US government stopped admitting H-1 B's part
way into the year when the cap was reached.

Many people saw the fight to increase the cap last year as an easy one
because the final votes in the US House and Senate were close to unanimous.
But let me assure you, as one who was in the middle of the battle, it was
very hard fought, and I used a lot of my own political capital to get the
increase.

In the absence of further legislative action in the next two years, the cap
reverts to 65,000 in 2004. The effort that will be necessary to get the cap
increased again will be enormous, especially if US unemployment increases
from its current level of slightly over four per cent, which seems likely.
The immigration opponents are out to get me, and many of you. So my plea to
you who use the H-1 B program to bring or send H-1 B's to the US is simple.
Play by the rules. We can overcome many of our opponents' arguments, but the
toughest ones to overcome have to do with abuses. Companies that bend the
rules by underpaying or by inflating the resumes or by otherwise skating too
close to the edge hurt every employer that wants to use the H-1 B program.
So if anyone you know is even thinking about abusing the complicated rules
of the H-1 B program, tell them "don't." They will not only be threatening
their own business. They will also be threatening the future of many others.

A Global Digital Opportunity for India
There are two distinct paths India could follow. If the United States is the
leader in minimising regulating the Internet, our friends in Europe,
especially in the European Commission, are at the other end of the spectrum.
I encourage you to join the US government and the global Internet industry
in opposing a "government knows best" model. We are going to have to be much
more forceful if we are going to stop the Europeans from their seemingly
unrelenting desire to tax and regulate the Internet, and, in turn, to export
their thoughts to other parts of the world.

I have been privileged to work closely with NASSCOM on many of the issues we
have discussed today, and to represent ITAA member companies such as Satyam,
Covansys, iGate, Tata, NIIT. Indeed, your country has made a name for itself
in the international IT arena, and I encourage, you all to take that
leadership role very seriously. I note that India has exceeded five million
Internet users in this country, with projections of 15 million in just two
years. You are at cross roads - with investments from major U.S. interests
like AOL Time Warner at your doorstep, and an Indian CEO presence in many
regions of North America, you have a great opportunity.

The information technology services industry has a vital interest in the
successful conclusion of the World Trade Organization services negotiations
that have been bumping along very slowly, especially since the unfortunate
WTO meeting in Seattle, Washington in December, 1999. Information
technology, while a service industry itself, is critical to the success of
the other services industries, which, in turn provide a substantial market
for information services. As the services sector thrives so will the
information technology services sector.

The WTO's agreements on telecommunications, intellectual property, and
information technology goods have had a positive impact on information
technology services, but further liberalisation is needed. For example,
while substantive commitments by many countries in the area of value-added
services (information services), and computer and related services are
included in the General Agreement on Trade in Services, some commitments are
weak, while others are non-existent. The services negotiations provide an
opportunity to broaden and deepen the current commitments.

India has a unique opportunity to be a leader on these issues in the WTO. As
one of the largest developing economies, India's policies and attitudes on
these issues influence the positions of smaller developing countries. I
encourage the Indian IT, industry to work with your government
representatives to take a positive, leadership role in the WTO to liberalise
trade in services if you want to realise your vision of India as a global
leader in the information technology market. I realise there are competing
interests in India, just as in the United States, among agriculture and
other industry sectors on how to position themselves in the WTO. The trade
off should be clear - the new economy has delivered many benefits to India
in just a short time and it is paramount that India take leadership to
continue this success.

The Internet is making its global journey and raising a host of dazzling
possibilities as well as leaving thorny issues in its wake. We need to have
the patience to let the marketplace do its work. In closing, I ask you to
find the courage to continue looking forward, not back - to fight to break
down global trade barriers; to accept the responsibilities of global
leadership; to understand that regulatory forbearance is the key to
enlightenment, and to be willing to let markets, not regulators, find the
answers.

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