Posted on 02/11/2009 8:46:40 AM PST by QenBirQeni
The Senate voted Friday to restrict the hiring of foreign workers by banks that are receiving government bailout funds while undergoing vast layoffs.
The legislation by Sens. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, would require the banks to seek American workers before turning to foreign nationals when they're hiring. It aims to prevent replacement of Americans by foreigners working under the H-1B visa program, which allows employers to bring in workers for high-skilled and advanced-degree jobs.
The measure has a two-year life and if signed into law would apply to the more than 300 banks that are receiving money from the taxpayer-funded Troubled Asset Relief Program.
The Senate added the restriction as part of the massive economic stimulus package lawmakers are crafting as part of President Barack Obama's plan to reinvigorate the economy.
If it becomes law, banks seeking visas to bring in foreign workers would be barred from displacing or replacing American employees for three months before and three months after petitioning the government for the visas.
...
Partial data from the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services suggests that the banks ultimately got visas for only about one-quarter of the number of workers they initially sought permission to employ. For example, the banks and their subsidiaries filed more than 5,000 visa applications with Labor Department officials during the 2006 budget year. After that step, they ended up with about 1,200 new workers approved by the Citizenship and Immigration agency.
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No. Hiring only domestic is the same as protectionism. Let the best be hired.
“If it passes” - LOL!
I should have said if it becomes law; same thing.
ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!
The problem is, if companies were left without the ability to hire foreign workers, would they just simply shut down, and add all of their workers to the unemployment rolls?
Americans first! Or do you propose having foreigners work and pay taxes to support all the Americans on unemployment? What the hell are you thinking?????
BS. It has nothing to do with hiring the best.
What about illegal aliens? The Senate has removed E-Verify from their version of the stimulus package? E-Verify is an important tool to screen out illegals. Do you view e-verify as a form of protectionism?
They won’t do that.
WOW - I am surprised to see Bernie Sanders on the right side of ANY issue, much less something that would be good for the country.
There is nothing that drives me more crazy than when I have to call customer service and I get someone who can barely speak English. Drives me up the wall.
It would be nice if we could attach this to ALL employment - Americans first. I’m thinking in the construction industry (home building, roofing, masonry, etc.) especially.
I agree.
Americans are fat and lazy.
Open the borders and bring on the work visas!/s
There is no reason to hire non-Americans when the unemployment rate is as high as it is.
The only reason anyone hires a foreign worker is for cheaper labor...not because they are more productive. In the end Americans not only get shafted out of a job....but Americans also get sub-standard service
This is the time when anger about the sorry state of affairs for many unemployed or soon to be laid off American workers causes sever misplaced anger towards foreign workers and immigrants. It is worth noting that it is not the fault of these foreign workers who just like many of us want to make a decent living and have no intent whatsoever to cause suffering to anyone. The economic conditions under which companies operate dictate on the type of labor hired. Naturally, companies will seek the cheapest labor possible, and if American labor has become too expensive these companies will outsource. It is not fair for government to interfere in the market and dictate what type of labor needs to be hired because it does not mitigate unemployment risk at all. Seeing how prices and wages are related and a function of supply-demand, introducing any restrictions in the labor market will cause further depression of wages and lower labor demand.
Actually, I think let the cheapest labor be hired would be more appropriate.
How about reading the CONSTITUTION and tell me where that is states the companies have hire AMERICANS only?? By the way if anybody here who agrees with Bernie Sanders is not a conservative. I thought we all liked small Government??
That is anti-American nonsense...that hiring only domestic is “protectionism”.
The only reason one would hire foreign is that they are “cheaper”....definitely not because they are more productive...which is why a lot of companies are failing now....hiring non-productive foreign labor
And my tax dollars should not be re-distributed to foreign countries
If a company is only hiring foreign workers....they are not contributing much to the American economy anyway....let those businesses fail. We definitely should not be using bailout money for banks to redistribute to foreign workers
Are you "domestic," libh8er? If so, are you exhibiting self hatred, or are you merely blinded by ill gotten gains in the past? We've reached the point of diminishing returns on the labor squeeze. "Domestic" unemployment is rising rapidly. Average workweek is declining. Average compensation is declining. And yet you want to continue piling on. This won't end well, if it continues.
or be forced to buy union made crap..
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