Posted on 02/17/2016 12:00:34 PM PST by ConservingFreedom
House Speaker Paul Ryan indicated Wednesday he thinks Disney's decision to fire American workers last year and force them to train their foreign replacements is about offshoring.
The story of the layoffs grabbed national attention and resulted in a federal investigation into businesses accused of using the H-1b visa program to import foreign workers at the expense of equally qualified American workers. But Ryan indicated he thinks the story is about offshoring American jobs in an interview with talk radio host Laura Ingraham Wednesday.
"Let's clean up our tax laws so Disney doesn't make moves like that," Ryan said when Ingraham brought up the Disney workers. "We're losing the biggest public company in Wisconsin to Ireland, in part because of our tax laws." (RELATED: Laid Off Disney Worker Takes On H-1b Myths In The Senate)
Disney's decision to lay off hundreds of IT workers and replace them with a contractor that relies on temporary foreign workers is not about tax law, but the H-1b visa program.
Ryan's office did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment.
Here's the full exchange from the interview.
Ingraham: Does the American worker get relief here? I don't need to beat the dead horse here on the Disney workers and the foreign workers and that stuff. I just think if the establishment compromised a little bit on that issue with the people, I think the sky's the limit for how far the Republican Party can go.
Ryan: There should be no daylight between us, that's my point. On those workers you're talking about, let's deal with welfare, let's get the people who are in America, who are able-bodied adults, who aren't working or looking for work, let's get them into the workforce before we talk about other issues. Let's get poverty reduced by moving people from welfare to work and let's have tax reform that doesn't reward companies for moving overseas, but that keeps companies here in America.
Let's clean up our tax laws so that Disney doesn't make moves like that. We're losing the biggest publicly held company in Wisconsin to Ireland, in part because of our tax laws. So, this is a huge part of our agenda, which is, how do you get American jobs, American growth for American workers, so we have faster economic growth, higher wages. And how do we get our own people from welfare to work, and secure the border, and do these things we need to do get higher wages, better incomes, and, oh by the way let's prevent a debt crisis and take on the entitlements that are going to give us a debt crisis.
Ryan allowed a catch-all spending bill to the floor that included a contentious expansion of the H-2b visa program in December, violating an explicit pledge he made not to touch immigration as speaker so long as Barack Obama is president.
Ryan did not want to be the speaker. There were others who did want to be speaker. Thus there was no reason for him to take the position he did not want. Apparently, he was just to weak to resist the pressure to accept it. Not surprisingly his job performance has been terrible.
Because they don’t care, it’s all meaningless to these politicians.
Can't do that job on a part time basis. He's home when he should be on Sunday talk shows making the conservative case, instead they let the Dems rframe every issue then they play defense then they give in and give up.
I guess Donald J. Trump who even brought up Carrier during the debates
He is fully aware. Faking ignorance to avoid responsibility.
Paul Ryan is a dick.
The dumber you get the higher up you move in the Uniparty. It axiomatic.
Like every other time the man opens his mouth—this sounds like a canned campaign speech—and as is often the case, has little to do with the original question. I used to admire this guy when he was FIRST ELECTED years ago...but NOW What a GOPe SELLOUT!!!!
Here is the exchange:
Ryan: There should be no daylight between us, that’s my point. On those workers you’re talking about, let’s deal with welfare, let’s get the people who are in America, who are able-bodied adults, who aren’t working or looking for work, let’s get them into the workforce before we talk about other issues. Let’s get poverty reduced by moving people from welfare to work and let’s have tax reform that doesn’t reward companies for moving overseas, but that keeps companies here in America.
Let’s clean up our tax laws so that Disney doesn’t make moves like that. We’re losing the biggest publicly held company in Wisconsin to Ireland, in part because of our tax laws. So, this is a huge part of our agenda, which is, how do you get American jobs, American growth for American workers, so we have faster economic growth, higher wages. And how do we get our own people from welfare to work, and secure the border, and do these things we need to do get higher wages, better incomes, and, oh by the way let’s prevent a debt crisis and take on the entitlements that are going to give us a debt crisis.
Ryan allowed a catch-all spending bill to the floor that included a contentious expansion of the H-2b visa program in December, violating an explicit pledge he made not to touch immigration as speaker so long as Barack Obama is president.
Follow Rachel o
Too bad fat boy talk show hosts would rather talk about iphones than something relevant like thousands of Americans losing their jobs to indentured servants.
He’s paid well to know nothing.
Trump says hes buying Trane from now on.
Carrier has NO idea how much business they are going to lose.
The visa has been around since 1965, if I recall.
Since when does the republican leader not support America hating globalists?
Ryan is doing exactly what he wants to do, what he got into congress to do and what he was put into the speakership to do
He acts like a prick. He always did. Expect it
It’s no more ignorance than Obama is ignorant in destroying this country. It is intentional and a reason Republicans are so angry.
Beginning in 1970 and due to pressures from industry, changes were made in the foreign worker visa program that literally changed the intent of the original legislation. Congress, attempting to keep the US competitive in a growing world economy, effected changes that degraded it to the point where the current name no longer fits its true meaning.
To explain this, let’s revisit the term “nonimmigrant temporary worker.”
The first casualty of political erosion was the word “temporary.” Beginning in 1970 and culminating with its demise in 1990, all traces of temporary were removed. The temporary nature of the job was removed through the reinterpretation of crucial phrases. Finally, with the acknowledgment by Congress in the Immigration Act of 1990 that many nonimmigrants (as well as employers) wanted the temporary nature of their residence to become permanent, the H-1B became a “dual intent” visa.3 This was not missed by American employers who jumped at the chance to hire workers who would be content with lower wages than their American counterparts, as well as, be available for long term employment .
The Immigration Act of 1990 permitted this “dual intent” while still maintaining its temporary impression. It also raised the total years of visa stay (from the old number of 5) to 6 years. According to “A Legislative History of H-1B and Other Work Related Visas”, by Rob Sanchez of ZaZona.com, this is considered the birth of the H-1B visa.
As of 1990, the original (1952) definition read something like this:
nonimmigrant temporary worker “an alien having a residence in a foreign country which he has no intention of abandoning (i) who is of distinguished merit and ability and who is coming temporarily to the United States to perform temporary services of an exceptional nature requiring such merit and ability.”
Fast forward to November, 2002 and the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act, H.R. 2215. There is a provision in the bill dubbed the “7th Year Extension”. It allows H-1B visa holders to extend their stay past the 6th year if a labor certification has been pending for at least 365 days. Furthermore, they can request this extension on a yearly basis until they get a green card. Of the 400 members of the House who voted in favor of this bill, 206 were Republicans and 193 were Democrats.4 That’s what I call a bi-partisan backstabbing!
And let’s not forget the kids. In 2008, Michael Chertoff, Homeland Security Secretary signed a new extension to the Optional Practical Training period for foreign students working in the U.S. It extended the OPT period from 12 to 29 months. This more than doubled the time they are allowed to work in internships in the U.S. Mr. Chertoff imposed this extension without a Congressional review or public knowledge.4 This boon effectively grants them more time while they wait for their H-1B visa approval.
Changes made to the misnomer of “temporary” are only some of the problems with this dysfunctional law. The events above show that “non-immigrant” is affected as well. In addition, changes in the wording of the definitions pertaining to qualifications were made. These changes lowered the original intent for persons of preeminence, to those holding a bachelor’s degree.3 An in depth analysis of these events presents a historically documented pattern of attempts to ease restrictions that would lead to the admission of more foreign workers.
Here’s that “original definition “ again. Keep in mind that the new definition dwells in the same realm as “change you can count on”.
Non-immigrant temporary worker: “an alien having a residence in a foreign country which he has no intention of abandoning (i) who is of distinguished merit and ability and who is coming temporarily to the United States to perform temporary services of an exceptional nature requiring such merit and ability.”
Are there enough United States born workers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math who could perform those services?
A 2004 study by the federally funded RAND National Defense Research Institute found that “Despite recurring concerns about potential shortages of STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Math]personnel in the U.S. workforce, ... we did not find evidence that such shortages have existed ... Likewise, “underemployment patterns”—indications of STEM workers involuntarily working out of their fields—suggest that underemployment of STEM workers is relatively high compared with non-STEM workers.”
Furthermore, in a 2008 RAND report (prior to the dismal unemployment numbers we’re seeing now) researchers found “no evidence of a current shortage of qualified S&E workers.”
Those in agreement with the RAND findings include Michael Teitelbaum of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in New York, which funds scientific, economic, and civic research. Teitelbaum says, the education pipeline is supplying “substantially more scientists and engineers” than the job market can provide for.
But, in a USA Today article which ran on July 9th, 2009 titled “Scientist Shortage? Maybe Not,” the President’s science advisor, John Holdren disagrees.
So, where are all these U.S. born STEM workers going to find work? Holdren says he is “optimistic that the jobs for them will materialize.” –What? I hope the lessons of verification learned in the recent health care debate have not been lost on Mr. Holdren. Adult Americans require factual, verifiable information, not bedtime story fantasies.
A “true” reform of America’s immigration laws will equal the current health care debate in terms of its complexity. It has been too easy, for too long, to exploit the loopholes in the temporary guest worker program. Politicians have repaid special interests for their support by developing a program rife with opportunities for exploitation and by hogtying its regulatory process. I agree with Sen. Grassley’s (R-IA) grave concerns regarding the H-1B program. It’s time to put the lid back on the candy jar.
Yet, that isn’t what makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up in the same way a Halloween ghost story does. That just makes me mad! Nor am I very apprehensive about the fact that political “bandaids” at any level of intervention, will cure much more than the immediate problems.
So what is it that fills me with apprehension and dread like the Halloween tales of my childhood? It is the potentially impossible search for individuals with the steadfast objectivity, integrity, and uncorruptible motives that were visibly missing from the sequence of events above.
References:
1 Due to accounting errors and “creative” accounting methods, the INS in 1997 and 1999; and the DHS in 2005, issued tens of thousands more H-1B visas than were allowed by law. The overage in1999 was dealt with by hurried, stop gap legislation. See ref. #4
2 According to the USCIS and USDHS
3 B. Lindsay Lowell, “H-1B Temporary Workers: Estimating the Population” (May 1, 2000). Center for Comparative Immigration Studies. Working Papers. Paper wrkg12. http://repositories.cdlib.org/ccis/papers/wrkg12
4 Rob Sanchez, “A Legislative History of H-1B and Other Immigrant Work Visas”, ZaZona.com
Tags:
America’s Jobless
American workers
Legal Immigration
High-Tech Worker Visas
visas
Gee, thanks. I guess.
This seems to be about the “looter class”
Pretend fight for the voters and globalize poverty.
How does unlimited immigration of low of low skilled people with limited education help a technology-based American society? These people are a collective drag on the economy and not a boost. The H-1B visas aren't the solution, either. Conclusion: Ryan is a political whore for sale to the highest bidder.
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