Posted on 02/04/2006 4:38:34 AM PST by Tyche
Making a strong pitch for America to stay competitive in the face of emerging economies such as India and China, President George W Bush has urged the Congress to raise the number of H-1B visas that allow companies to hire foreign workers for scientific and high tech jobs.
"Congress needs to understand that nations like India, China, Japan, Korea and Canada all offer tax incentives that are permanent. In other words, we live in a competitive world. We want to be the leader in this world," Bush said in a speech in Minnesota on Thursday.
To fill vacant jobs in the US, Bush urged the Congress to lift current limit on H-1B visas that allow foreign workers to get jobs in the United States. The Congress in 2005 capped at 65,000 the number of H-1B visas, a third of the 195,000 allowed during the technology boom.
"I think it's a mistake not to encourage more really bright folks who can fill the jobs that are having trouble being filled here in America, to limit their number. So I call upon Congress to be realistic and reasonable and raise that cap," Bush said, but did not say by how much he wanted the limit lifted.
He said that one part of the agenda to stay competitive was to study math and science, a theme he touched on in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday.
"It's one thing to research, but if you don't have somebody in that lab, well… And so I got some ideas for the Congress to consider. The first is to emphasize math and science early, and to make sure that the courses are rigorous enough that our children can compete globally," Bush said in a speech at the 3M Corporation.
He said there are more high-tech jobs in America today than people available to fill them. "So what do we do about that? And the reason it's important -- and the American citizen has got to understand it's important -- is if we don't do something about how to fill those high-tech jobs here, they'll go somewhere else where somebody can do the job."
"There are some who say, we can't worry about competition. It doesn't matter, it's here. It's a real aspect of the world in which we live," he said.
"And so one way to deal with this problem, and probably the most effective way, is to recognize that there's a lot of bright engineers and chemists and physicists from other lands that are either educated here, or received an education elsewhere but want to work here. And they come here under a programme called H1B visas," Bush said.
He said America should not fear competition. "It's important for us not to lose our confidence in changing times. It's important for us not to fear competition but welcome it."
Senior administration officials noted that the number of H-1B visas has fallen to 65,000 which in their estimation was 'too low' and that it was imperative 'to bump that up.'
". . . some of reports have called for increases of 10,000; others between 20,000 and 40,000. So there is a number of options on the table to be considered. But we'll work with Congress on that," said Claude Allen, assistant to the President for domestic policy.
Our son is the same, super good at math, the high school ran out of math classes in his junior year, he then started taking them at a community college. Decided to just go there get his high school degree and college credits at the same time. Well, now at age 18 he is a first term junior at the University of Oregon, and is scared of majoring in engineering, due to what he has heard about outsourcing. Should he be?
Good luck. There are major forces at work here that transcend the wisdom of parents. When your son and the rest of the college kids hear that staring wages for geeks have increased $5K, then they will listen.
But Microsoft, Motorola, and HP are suppressing the wages with cheaper H1Bs. We don't have enough engineers today, 'cause of the message sent to kids 5-10 years ago. And they are sending the same message today.
Kilgore wanted to shut down the illegal work sites.
Kilgore was going to go after illegals.
Kaine is in bed with illegals. Kaine doesn't have any problem with illegals getting help in loundon county.
Kaine goes after people that bashes immigrants when they are really going after illegals.
Kaine wants to have the u.s and mexico combine into one.
If you are really against illegals you should have been all for Kilgore and against Kaine. Instead of caring about his voice. One was a strong conservative the other one is a howard dean ass kissing illegal fraud with a wierd eyebrow.
Nailed it.
Why bust your butt in college mastering hard science?
Major in urban planning, go to work for municpal gubmint.
Major in ethnic/womens studies (good for a PhD, there) and work for a multinational as VP of Diversity.
Or, hell ya... go to law school.
First, he's not majoring in "engineering." What will be his specialty?
Because four-year engineering degrees bring the highest salaries?
~ shudder.
The conservatives did block these visas. Bush has no say in this matter. The conservatives lead by mike pence, tancredo, sensennbrenner, and jeff flake said no to bush and the dems wanting to increase these visas.
This visa increase will never pass the house as long as nancy pelosi isn't in control.
Bush is a lame duck with almost no power on legislation. The conservatives in the house ignore what he says.
Instead of praising the conservatives in the house for blocking this visa increase we attack our own who blocked the visa increase.
The minutemen will get what they want by taking down strong conservatives in favor of san francisco liberals like nancy pelosi.
The problem is I have no conservative to vote for on this years ballot. I have republicans, but they are not conservatives. So I am going thrid party.
No need to get personal. :)
Great. Then let the Federal Government outsource what we are doing in Iraq and around the world to be the world's policeman.
The American military, paid for by the American taxpayer, provides a lot of stablility in the world.
What exactly are American soldiers fighting for if we live in such a "global world" that the American middle class is being made to compete with cheap foreign labor and large corporations that used to hire Americans are now global?
Myself, I'd tie foreign trade to human rights. China sure wouldn't have most favored nation status until you could preach the gospel and hold church services in your home without getting thrown in jail for it.
Although one problem with my idea is that women don't have much in the way of rights in most middle east countries, so there would be a problem if we did't buy oil from them until their women had the same rights as our women...
I am sure the American politicians are bought and paid for by big business on these issues, but I have a real problem with seeing Americans that are willing and able to work having to compete with much cheaper foreign labor from nations that do not support basic human rights and don't do much to support world stability.
Let these foreign geniuses serve two years in the American military as part of the deal.
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I sincerely doubt your analysis. If the talent in question stays in China or India or Brazil, do you think Microsoft and Citicorp are going to refrain from hiring them? They aren't you know. They are just going to open a branch in China or India or Brazil. The jobs and capital go where they can get the talent. You can't stop it, it is a law of nature. You can however make the talent as mobile as the capital, and have it happen here with our tax base benefiting.
It is perfectly sensible to oppose non-enforcement of the border with Mexico, assimilation problems, insist on legality etc. It is marginally understandable to oppose lots of unskilled workers. But opposing imports of genuises is stark raving mad.
"There aren't seas of unemployed geniuses lying around waiting for IBM to call."
You are wrong. IBM is laying off experienced, older workers and either outsourcing their jobs or replacing them with H1B workers that they import by the bus load. I've seen it happen time and time again.
Who is your rep? Third party will take power out of the hands of mike pence and put it in the hands of nancy pelosi.
If you want a conservative from rural indiana losing power to a san francisco liberal that praises cindy sheehan then I think you will be disappointed.
Third party got us ruth bader ginsberg. Third party is really voting for san francisco to go nationwide under nancy pelosi. Third party will lead to commies like john conyers running a circus with our national security intel in the house. They will immediately subpoena all of bush's daily breifings and leak all our top intel to the ny times.
Conservatives have no idea what is awaiting them with a nancy pelosi, reid, hillary rodham trifecta govt. Ted Kennedy, Schumer, and Kerry will have great power in the senate. Just what this country needs. A pary with Dean as their chairman with the power.
We will get to see our whole govt pander to jesse jackson.
Daddy, Daddy, please protect me, those mean brown people are trying to take my job.
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