Giffords’ plan aims to double number of H-1B visas

By Jonathon Shacat
Herald/Review
Published/Last Modified on Sunday, Apr 06, 2008 - 05:16:03 am MST

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BISBEE — U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords recently introduced a bill that would double the number of H-1B visas that are available to immigrants who want to work legally in the United States.

Giffords, D-Tucson, introduced the bill, known as the Innovation Employment Act, on March 13.

The proposal calls for increasing the general H-1B visa cap from 65,000 to 130,000 in fiscal 2008. There would be a provision to allow the cap to increase up to 180,000 in future years.

The legislation also would uncap H-1B visas for master’s and doctoral students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics from American universities who will work in those fields.

C.J. Karamargin, spokesman for Giffords, said the people who get the H-1B visas are “well-educated and well-paid individuals who are essential to any economy.”

“The congresswoman knows that high-tech industry is very important to her district,” he said. “These are companies that employ more than 50,000 people in Southern Arizona. They generate annual revenues of more than $6 billion. And they pay typically very good wages.”

“This is a growing sector of the Southern Arizona economy, and the congresswoman wants to keep that momentum going,” he added.

Karamargin pointed out that high-tech groups, business groups and conservative think tanks support increasing the cap. The Heritage Foundation is one supporter.

Al Garza, national executive director of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, warned the legislation would result in “undercutting the American wage.

He said the United States already has plenty of people who are “intelligent” and “computer savvy” and there is no need to bring in people from another country.

“All they want is another reason to bring down the income scale and keep importing cheap labor,” Garza said.

“We’ve got to keep tight and stay together and fight these bills because they are ludicrous,” he added.

Karamargin acknowledged the H-1B visa is part of the immigration debate, but he said, “It would be a mistake to allow the overheated rhetoric associated with the immigration debate to hobble this legislation, which is something that Democrats and Republicans see the need for.”

Tom Dunn, spokesman for state Senate President Tim Bee, R-Tucson, who is Giffords’ likely opponent in the congressional District 8 election this face, declined to comment on the proposal.

“I don’t think we have a position on it at this point,” he said.

HERALD/REVIEW reporter Jonathon Shacat can be reached at 515-4693.

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Langer wrote on Apr 9, 2008 7:49 PM:

" Ramana, it doesn't work that way. American workers are NOT ALLOWED jobs when H-1Bs are available. No matter how qualified, nor how little they'll take in wages, nor their willingness to relocate, these businesses don't want Americans. They like to continue violating labor laws and basically having slaves. Taxes? Pretty soon there will be no more Americans employed to pay taxes. This is all a big scam to provide welfare for big business and is destroying our country. "

American IT Worker wrote on Apr 9, 2008 8:56 AM:

" The only "Innovation" in this Employment Act is its ability to deceive American citizens. There are many highly qualified immigrants, but most of the ones let in on H-1 and L-1 visa types are used to lower salaries across the IT community. This is nothing more than a subsidy to high tech companies. Shame on Congresswoman Giffords for continuing to pursue this approach with the economy looming towards recession. IT wages have remained stagnant for several years due somewhat to the importation of cheap foreign labor. Far better to introduce some sort of points system. "

Ramana wrote on Apr 8, 2008 7:48 PM:

" The bill introduced by Gabrielle Giffords is a great move one can ever do. This bill if passed, will only make America more powerful economically and will sure benefit all the employers who are contributing in the nation's growth by way of paying heavy taxes and including the individual H1B holders who are also paying proper taxes to the American economy. The Americans should compete with these people to get their jobs, thus proving that American fellow men are also good. Just by cribbing that their jobs are taken away is such a waste to think of. Longlive America, goodjobGiffords. "

Langer wrote on Apr 8, 2008 1:29 AM:

" I hope the majority of voters are workers who pay attention to this action and will help Gabby out of her position.

Most American citizens are lazy? I don't think so. We have plenty of folks studying the sciences and technical fields and trying to find positions in those fields.

Ask yourself why Gabby hates the United States of America. Why does she do everything she can think of to destroy our nation?

As for cheaper goods, if no one has a job who will buy those products?
"

Langer wrote on Apr 8, 2008 1:16 AM:

" So far this year 232,000 Americans have lost their jobs, and that number could increase significantly if the March numbers have to be adjusted by DOL like Jan and Feb estimates. And employers will do anything possible to hire H-1Bs over Americans. Even if more highly qualified Americans are willing to take H-1B wages and relocate, these employers won't hire them. They want people they can treat as slaves. H-1Bs are a BIG scam operation with folks getting rich teaching businesses how to avoid hiring Americans. "

Sam wrote on Apr 7, 2008 1:45 PM:

" Good job Giffords.

But a small suggestion from my side. The number of H-1B visas for the Bachelor's degree need to be kept the same as 65000 instead of doubling it. But the cap for the Master's students needs to be removed. This is because, they have higher levels of education and they are skilled at the work. This is highly important for the growth of the economy. "

Elizabeth wrote on Apr 7, 2008 8:24 AM:

" I support the idea. Most American citizens are very lazy, we cannot go to college to study technical professions like engineering, computer e.t.c instead we prefer music, history e.t.c. Why are we now complaining about H1B? American needs the skill of these foreigners in our society. "

Rajiv wrote on Apr 7, 2008 8:24 AM:

" Hi,

I think Masters quota increase is good , u know there will not be those many as those of in general quota... providing equal opportunities for Americans as well!!! "

Nick wrote on Apr 7, 2008 7:07 AM:

" I think this is a commendable act. Not condemnable. Why is everyone under the impression that H1 jobs are only for IT? What about other branches of Engineeering? I went to grad school for Industrial Engineering and there are only a handful of Americans. Maybe you should also consider that some of the american Engineers are not as good as the foreigners instead of complaining that you are losing jobs. Maybe thats the reason why Microsoft hires H1 workers. They want good hard working people. "

Matthew wrote on Apr 7, 2008 5:55 AM:

" If this will work out, its indeed a boost to american economy.
Cheers to Giffords!!! "

Dana Rothrock wrote on Apr 6, 2008 9:25 PM:

" SOURCES:
(1) Tabulated by National Science Foundation/Division of Science Resources Statistics (NSF/SRS); data from Department of Education/National Center for Education Statistics: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Completions Survey and NSF/SRS: Survey of Earned Doctorates.
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d07/tables/dt07_267.asp
(2) http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2004/02/art5full.pdf page 83

H-1B and L-1 visas are the Trojan Horse to offshoring of American Jobs.
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/popups/exporting.america/content.html "

Dana Rothrock wrote on Apr 6, 2008 9:24 PM:

" Over 600,000 science and engineering degrees are granted annually from American universities.(1) The US produces only 120,000 science and engineering jobs per year.(2) That leaves 480,000 graduates per year without jobs in their chosen careers. Add to this over 240,000 H-1B visas and an equal number of L-1 visas each year. Half a million Americans are losing their jobs to cheap foreign technical workers every year. Another half million Americans waste their S&E degrees on non-S&E jobs (Wal-Mart).
"

B wrote on Apr 6, 2008 6:34 PM:

" There are plenty of American software engineers looking for jobs and not finding them. It is hard to compete with indentured H1b labor, even if you are willing to work for the same salary, as the assumption is that you will leave as soon as you find something better. In the last four years I have had TWO 13-month periods of unemployment. I am tired of hearing the lies from the likes of Bill Gates saying that I do not exist. It is not a matter of lower salary, it is a matter of not having a job at all! "

Eyes wide open wrote on Apr 6, 2008 5:47 PM:

" Face it, Giffords is all for big business. Check where most of her campaign contributions come from.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Any reader who would like to check the fund-raising efforts of all federal candidates should check out the website
http://www.opensecrets.org "

Ray wrote on Apr 6, 2008 10:22 AM:

" As I wrote in a letter to the Editor, this move by Rep. Giffords is a slap in the face to ALL American workers.

The Representative should be concerned with the 3-4 month DROP in U.S. employment, not how to bring in more foreign workers.

I am now going to do everything I can to help elect her opponent. You should do the same. "

R. Lawson wrote on Apr 6, 2008 9:34 AM:

" Giffords is obviously blind to all the evidence that demonstrates the program lowers wages in technology and IT professions, decreasing the interest of American students from pursuing computer science and engineering.

The fact is that H-1b workers are paid $16,000 less than their American counterparts on average. The program is about cheap and exploitable labor, nothing else.

The top 8 of 10 sponsors of H-1b visas are offshore outsourcing firms from India. This program helps ships jobs to India.

Do yourself a favor and oust Giffords. Vote for someone else. "

Tom wrote on Apr 6, 2008 7:26 AM:

" The H-1B is just a way for Corporate America to replace American white collar workers with cheap foreign labor from India and China. Just as illegal immigration is used to replace blue collar workers the H-1B is used to replace white collar workers. The H-1B visa and Illegal Immigration are all natural outgrowths of the 1965 Immigration Act. The 1965 Immigration Act has very strict quotas for people to immigrate to the U.S. from Ireland, England, Germany and the rest of Europe. Yet it allows millions of people to immigrate here from third world countries. "

Stop the Insanity! wrote on Apr 6, 2008 7:14 AM:

" GET RID OF THE ILLEGALS FIRST before bringing any more in! What a big mistake it was electing Giffords. "

Double alright wrote on Apr 6, 2008 6:50 AM:

" Double talk from Giffords. She also is against building the fence. "

Wibur wrote on Apr 6, 2008 6:40 AM:

" Giffords is Goofy. Most of the jobs in the Aerospace and Defense industry, the largest employer in Southern Arizona, require security clearance which non-citizens cannot get. Either she is stupid your newspaper didn't dig deep enough. "