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(Office titles listed at time of quote)
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Sen. Spencer Abraham
(MI) |
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"the increase [in H-1B usage] proves there is a shortage of high-tech workers"
[9]
``Until we can find Americans to fill these positions, we need to be
able to attract and bring skilled workers here from anywhere on the
globe'' [10]
"If we can't hire these talented people and bring them here now, foreign competitors can
and will. If American companies can't bring the talent here to fill their
needs . . . they'll move some of the operations overseas." [11]
"If we had rampant problems with the program, I probably wouldn't even
be proposing an increase," [12]
"I am convinced this legislation [H-1B increase] is crucial to maintaining American
economic competitiveness and to protect American jobs," [13]
Abraham's press secretary, Joe McMonigle called the Clinton threat
to veto the H-1B increase a delaying tactic. He also said the veto
would be a "a self-inflicted wound for the White House in its relations with Silicon
Valley." [14]
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Rep.
Dick Armey (TX) |
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"Every H1-B worker you put online creates another 40 job opportunities, and those are usually Americans -- local people."
"By allowing US firms to bring in skilled technical workers, we ensure that high tech jobs don't go overseas, and we create more jobs at home. .... For every H-1B worker hired in America, our high-tech industry generates dozens of additional U.S. jobs."
[4]
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Sen.
Bob Barr (GA) |
| Barr commented
that Congress never seems to satisfy the business and immigration communities. He remarked
that as Congress increases the number of H-1B visas, the hi-tech industry only wants more. |
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Sen.
Robert Bennet (UT) |
| After the Senate vote on October 3, 2000 to increase the H-1B quota,
Bennett said, "Once it's clear (the visa bill) is going to get through, everybody signs up so nobody can be in the position of being accused of being against high tech,'' said Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, after the vote. ``There were, in fact, a whole lot of folks against it, but because they are tapping the high-tech community for campaign contributions, they don't want to admit that in public''...[2] |
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Mayor
Jerry Brown (Oakland, CA) |
| Oakland mayor Jerry Brown related the "need" for "equal access" bilingual service to the H-1B program! He spoke of the "global economy," and how much we "need" the H-1Bs (this was right after he mentioned a big plan to make Oakland a high-tech center).
"Go to any Silicon Valley company, and you'll see them speaking Chinese, speaking various Indian languages. Go to the computer center at UC Berkeley and you'll see the same thing. We are
benefiting from importing high-tech people." [3] |
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Rep. John Bryant
(TX) |
| "Basically,
what this bill is saying to them is, "goodbye, there is not going to be training for
you [Americans]. We are not going to pay any attention to your situation. We
are going
to address the problems of this country by inviting an extra 140,000 permanent workers
into this country, along with their families, to take the places that we might have
trained you to take, had we been willing to follow that path." |
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Pat Buchanan |
| Buchanan dared to take a stand against H-1B.
Pat said the
following: "Are you aware that so far in 1998, a quarter of a million American
high-tech workers have been laid off from their jobs? Or that, at the same time as these
Americans are losing their jobs, 35% of the computer programmers in "Silicon
Valley" are foreign-born? Yet when the 105th Congress looked at this unjust
situation, they voted to double the annual quota of high-tech proficient immigrants
("H1-Bs," as they're known by the Immigration and Naturalization Service)
allowed into this country, meaning that upwards of 115,000 high-tech and high-paying jobs
here in the U.S. will go to foreigners in the future! This slap in the face of American
workers cannot be allowed to stand!" |
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President
George W. Bush |
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President Bush, in a May 2001 speech, said "We are grateful that the world's most skilled workers want to come to the United States. Our technology advantage rests on the contributions of immigrants from places like India or China, Russia, Iran and hundreds of other countries."
[27] |
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Gov.
George W. Bush (TX) |
| Bush's official position paper
on H-1B says that "The limit on H-1B visas should be raised." He also said that the US needs to import more PhD scientists. |
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President
Bill Clinton |
| The president's advisers recommended that he veto any
bill that does not require employers to show that they have tried to recruit Americans and have not laid off Americans before hiring
foreigners. The president believes any bill must also have ''a significant training component'' for Americans.
[14] Shortly after Al Gore raised a record amount of
campaign donations for the Democratic party from high-tech companies
Clinton signed the increase. |
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Sen.
Tom Daschle (SD) |
| Daschle had concerns that the H-1B increases
weren't being speeded into law fast enough. He said, "It [H-1B quota increase] has been languishing now for a long period of time. I have expressed a willingness to cut down the amendments that we know are pending on the H-1B bill from the scores, maybe even over 100 amendments that could be offered to 10 amendments with time limits -- with time limits. We would be willing to consider the H-1B bill with a time limit on each amendment, taking it up as soon as possible, in an effort to get that legislation passed as well."
[8] |
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Rep. Tom Davis
(VA) |
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In Spring 2000, Davis was a major supporter of pending legislation which would increase the H-1B
quota. Davis commented, ``This is not a popular bill with the public. It's popular with the CEOs...This is a very important issue for the high-tech executives who give the money.''
[1] |
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Sen.
Richard Durbin (IL) |
| The technology industry remains concerned
that it is unable to find enough qualified candidates to fill
positions that require advanced skills.[19] |
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Rep.
Anna Eshoo (CA) |
| "I'm a supporter of the H-1B visa
program. Legislation which passed in 2000 increased the number
of H1-B visas from 115,000 to 200,000 and the 200,000 mark will remain
for the next three years." [22] |
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Sen. Diane Feinstein (CA) |
| "Permanently increasing the number of foreign workers is the wrong answer to our long-term need for high tech workers."
"I become very saddened by our high-tech CEOs who consistently tell me they
cannot find qualified workers,"
`I support the Abraham legislation (bill to raise the limit from
65,000 to 115,000 per year) because I believe that we must make sure our high-tech industry has the workers to meet its immediate
needs". [10]
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Sen.
Peter Fitzgerald (IL) |
| These visas would produce more than $150 million in fees to support training and scholarships for American workers.[18] |
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Steve Forbes |
| He described the INS as one of the ``worst-run agencies of the Clinton-Gore administration,'' contending it has released illegal immigrant felons into the country instead of deporting them. Forbes also said the
H-1B cap on visas for skilled, foreign-born workers should be increased to help companies faced with staffing shortages.
[5] |
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Sen
Phil Gramm (TX) |
| Gramm was complaining about the protections
for American workers that Kennedy wanted to put into the H-1B bill: "Sen. Kennedy is trying to preserve the jobs of the 1950s; Sen. Abraham is
trying to create jobs now and in the 21st century"....."It's really a
debate between the past and the future." [11] |
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Sen. Tom Harkin (IA) |
| In
1998, by using a collegial rule, Harkin put a hold on consideration of the Republican
Leadership's H-1B bill in the Senate. Harkin said he will strenuously object to adding to
the omnibus spending bill a measure (HR 3736) to boost the annual allocation of H-1B visas
for skilled foreign computer programmers and other high-tech workers. Harkin threatened to
"have the whole bill read" on the floor. "We'll be here for days. There is
no need for that bill, and I do not want it in the omnibus" Harkin said. Harkin
blocked action on the visa bill in the Senate temporarily. Unfortunately the H-1B
advocates attached it to the omnibus budget measure. President Clinton agreed to sign the
new bill. |
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Sen.
Orrin Hatch (UT) |
| "the website [referring to www.ZaZona.com
] that you had referred me to was slightly outdated"
If the United States is to remain globally competitive, it is important that employers have the ability to hire the best employees for the jobs. This includes hiring foreign workers to meet the demands of the market |
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Rep.
J. D. Hayworth (AZ) |
| Some may question the need to allow foreigners into our country to work, but these individuals contribute to the economy and pay taxes to the federal government. Furthermore, if American companies cannot find home-grown talent, and if they cannot bring workers to this country, a large number are likely to move key operations overseas, sending those and related jobs currently held by Americans with them.[17] |
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Rep.
Michael Honda (CA) |
| With the IT sector now experiencing reduced
product demand and employee layoffs, private sector demand for H-1Bs
has waned. However, I am discouraged to hear scattered reports that
some companies may not be adhering to the spirit or the requirements
of the H-1B visa program. Although I am not on a committee of
jurisdiction, I have asked my colleagues on the House Education and
Workforce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee to work with the
DOL and the Immigration and Naturalization Service to ensure better
enforcement of existing regulations. [23] |
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Rep.
Jack Kemp (NY) |
| "So why should we let an arbitrary barrier, the 65,000-visa immigration quota, deflate economic growth in our most dynamic industry?" |
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Rep.
Patrick Kennedy (RI) |
| “ I have supported the H1-B visa program because of a chronic shortage of technology workers for Rhode Island's high-tech industry."
[26] |
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Sen. Ted Kennedy
(MA) |
| "Our solution is simple. Employers must simply state on one sheet of paper that they have not laid anyone off and that they have been unable to locate workers in this country. That's all".
"We should increase the quota temporarily". In September 2000 he
announced full support towards H-1B increases.
[H-1B is] "an embarrassing indictment of our failure to provide the adequate training for American
workers". [11]
"Believe it or not, it is legal under current law to lay off American workers and bring in foreign workers to replace them under this
[H-1B] program"
FLOOR STATEMENT OF SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON HIGH TECH IMMIGRATION -
May 18, 1998
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Rep. Ron Klink (PA) |
| "What
kind of jobs are we supposed to give those displaced Americans who have lost their jobs?
What jobs are we supposed to give to those kids who are coming out of college, out of high
school, out of career training right now if we are importing workers to take the jobs that
are being created in this Nation?" |
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Rep. Jim Kolbe
(AZ) |
| I do favor guest workers, H1B visas and student visas.[25] |
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Rep. John Larson
(Conn.) |
| The H1-B visas, available to foreign workers with special skills, are "a temporary solution," says Michael Kirk, a spokesman for Rep. John Larson, a cosponsor of the House bill. |
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Rep.
Ray LaHood (IL) |
| LaHood said the pullback in engineering and
the infotech industry is more of a problem in California and other
places with a higher concentration of high-tech industries.
"I don't think it's a problem around here, "LaHood said.
"I don't know about Illinois. I know about the 20 counties that I
represent, and I think (if it were a problem) I would have heard about
it."[24] |
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Sen. Carl Levin
(MI) |
| "In the 105th
Congress, I voted against a proposal to increase the cap of the H-1B
visas because it did not provide enough protections for American workers. Specifically, there was no requirement for employers
to seek to recruit Americans before sponsoring
foreign workers, and no requirement that they pledge to not lay off
American workers only to replace them with H-1B workers." |
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Rep. Zoe Lofgren
(CA) |
| Lofgren said that H-1Bs that are "geniuses" should get a minimum salary of $60,000 per year. |
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Sen. Trent Lott (MS) |
| Lott was very distressed that F.A.I.R. and the Coalition For the Future American Worker
attacked Spencer Abraham for wanting to double the H-1B quota. In defense
of Abraham he said, "Here is a guy that is being maligned maliciously and unfairly and we can't let that stand. .
I urged them to make sure the truth was told, and what a good guy Spence is and what good work he has done." |
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Sen. John McCain (AZ) |
| "I am proud to have been an original co-sponsor of this bill, which would raise the temporary visa cap for skilled foreign
workers. I say that we should eliminate these artificial [H-1B] limits altogether."
[6] |
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Rep.
John Porter (IL) |
| I
feel that increasing the number of available H-1B visas will make
American businesses more competitive in the global marketplace. It
seems unreasonable for the federal government to severely restrict
U.S. companies in their hiring of foreign professionals when there are
so few qualified American workers to fill these positions.[20] |
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Sen. Charles Robb (VA) |
| Robb said supplementing the U.S. work force with more highly educated foreign workers is a short-term solution. "The long-term challenge is to find ways to upgrade the skills of our existing work force." |
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Rep. Schumer (NY) |
| "This bill adds immigrants [pending IMMACT of 1990] in three ways. First, it
increases the number. We are a growing country, and we need more immigrants in general. Second, it says for the first time that immigrants should be admitted in large numbers because we need their skills. " |
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Rep. Bob Stump (AZ) |
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I am opposed to raising the H-1B cap for several reasons. The government has identified fraud in the program and there is no compelling evidence of a labor shortage. High-tech firms laid off more than 140,000 Americans last year while simultaneously lobbying Congress to increase the H-IB cap. I am also troubled by reports of age discrimination against middle-aged American computer programers. I believe the high demand reflects a preference for foreign workers and the cheaper foreign labor H-1B visa holders represent.[7] |
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Rep.
Heather Wilson (NM)
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the "H-1B visa program which helps sustain our rapidly growing
economy and also helps meet the health care needs of families living in
rural New Mexico." [21]
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Gov.
Pete Wilson (CA) |
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Wilson warned in a letter to Clinton that failure to increase the cap on the
number of skilled workers admitted to the United States would be ``detrimental'' to California, where the high technology industry has
become a cornerstone of the state's economy.
``It is clear that a temporary increase in the cap is needed to ensure
high-tech companies can hire the specialized personnel they need to continue to help fuel California's economic growth,'' Wilson said.
``Your veto would undermine all we are doing in California,'' Wilson said.``Moreover, it would jeopardize our economic security for no
apparent reason other than that of placating the short-sighted, protectionist demands of organized labor pressure groups.''
[15] |
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