Sen. Cruz Presents Measure to Strengthen, Improve Legal Immigration

SENATOR CRUZ OFFICE ^ | 14 MAY 2013 | SENATOR CRUZ PRESS RELEASE

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Offers amendment to increase H-1B visas to help improve, retain high-skilled labor force

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) today presented an amendment to the Gang of Eight immigration bill that would improve our nation’s legal immigration system by increasing high-skilled temporary worker visas, called H-1B visas, by 500 percent. The measure would effectively address the needs of our nation’s high-skilled workforce by helping meet the growing demand for workers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. It will also make block grants available to states to promote STEM education efforts and increase domestic STEM professionals. The committee voted against the amendment 4 to 14 with every Democrat voting against it on a party-line vote.

Legal immigration is a fundamental pillar of our nation's heritage, and I was pleased today to offer legislation that would have improved and expanded legal immigration by dramatically increasing the cap for high-tech temporary worker visas. This amendment would not only improve the current system, but would also encourage economic growth and create new jobs in America. There is currently a serious shortage of workers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, yet every year we send thousands of high-tech graduate students back to their home countries to start businesses and create jobs. This makes no sense. I’m disappointed in the committee’s vote to reject expanding high-tech immigration. Although the Gang of Eight's bill makes a modest step towards improving high-tech immigration, it does not go nearly far enough. There is no reason to arbitrarily cap high-tech visas at 110,000 when these jobs are going unfilled. We need economic growth here and now.”

Sen. Cruz’s amendment would:

Immediately increase the H-1B cap by 500 percent from 65,000 to 325,000.

• To truly fix our broken immigration system and take into account our nation’s economic needs, we must put more emphasis on increasing employment-based immigration. (EEE's comments in red - No mention of reducing the size, scope, and power of Fedzilla, which would unleash jobs on its own). There is a current shortage of qualified high-skilled workers in the U.S., with an estimated 230,000 advanced-degree STEM jobs going unfilled by 2018. Shortage caused by the feds sticking their grimy paws in the economy and picking winners and losers.

• Additionally, more H-1B workers mean more jobs for American workers – according to a study by the American Enterprise Institute, for every additional 100 H-1B workers, 183 jobs are created for U.S. citizens. How? What was this study based on and who funded it?

Help retain the high-skilled workers that are trained in the U.S. by allowing “dual intent.” What exactly is this?

• This would allow foreign students at U.S. colleges and universities to enter the U.S. on a temporary H-1B visa if they intend to get a Green Card once they complete their studies. This is Roman-style suicide for any nation

• Currently, about 300,000 students come to America annually to be educated, but are required to return home upon completing their education. Why can't they get edumacated in their own crapholes and improve their country's way of life?

Create block grants for states to promote STEM education in their public schools by raising H-1B fees. More borrowing and spending that we can't afford. I thought Cruz was a fiscal conservative?

• These block grants will encourage educating our children in these high demand fields, opening more doors of opportunity to future generations. According to the Joint Economic Committee, between 2010 and 2020, demand for STEM graduates is expected to grow by 17 percent, while employment for those graduates will increase only 14 percent, partly because American graduates are not available or qualified to fill these jobs.

• The block grant program would be funded by raising H-1B fees from $750 to $1,250 for businesses with fewer than 25 employees, and from $1,500 to $2,500 for those with 25 or more employees.

[SoConPubbie]

I’m starting to doubt this guy’s credibility. He sounds like a rabid leftist.

Not sure how you arrive at that. Certainly not by reviewing his posting history.

He is reliably and completely conservative. Just because he does not agree with you on a subject, and, at times, can be pointed in his postings, does not make him a leftist.

It does make him a sincere conservative.

[SoConPubbie]

No I asked your profession that's all. I am an IT professional like the ones being targeted for extinction. So you turn what do you do? If you don't answer that's ok I suspected you of cowardice; this non answer will just confirm it.

I'm an IT Professional as well, and at least in the LA area, the IT market is booming. I get new job listings that fit my skill sets on a daily basis.

[Jack Black]

You claim you don’t like what Cruz said two years ago on a single issue, but your comments try to take him out completely.

He's still on my short list. No one is perfect. He is better than most. What you see is that , but like many other STEM workers on this thread, this hits very close to home for me.

[SoConPubbie]

You listed on your points about Sen Cruz that he opposes birthright citizenship. Here he is saying not so.

Yea, I don't know what to tell you. You, I, and the rest of the conservative world are not going to find a perfect candidate, and I know how I hate when I hear someone say that, but it is true. I do know this, people change their positions, some from political calculation or "Pragmatism" some from principle. With Cruz, given his track record, I am more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Of all of the potential POTUS candidates, with the exception of Sarah Palin, he comes across, at least to me, as the most sincere, the most authentic, the most principled Conservative bar none.

So yes, you are within your right, as a conservative and a Freeper to point out what looks like a discrepancy. However, it just maybe a principled man, changing his mind on an issue once he thought it through and realized he was wrong. It is something I have done in my life, and I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Even if that discrepancy stands, I'll still stand with Ted Cruz as he stands Head and Shoulders above every other single candidate except Sarah Palin.

CRUZ or LOSE!

[ziravan]

Agreed. He’s head and shoulders above the rest.

Unfortunately, I think it’s possible that his position on birthright citizenship might be a bleed over from the birther crap going around. His thinking might be influenced about what the 14th Amend says about Jus Solis as a juxtaposition on Jus Sanguinis.

I can’t fault the guy for having a take on the issue that is also self-preserving. We all see politics more or less through the lens of our own biases.

I’m willing to put this in perspective. Cruz is my guy.

[AuntB]

” This is Cruz’s own press release in May of 2013, his very own words.”

BTT