Bush urges US Congress to lift H-1B visa limit

PTI ^ | February 03, 2006 | Sridhar Krishnaswami

[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.

[Dat Mon]

Correction...160 is mean PLUS 3.3 sigma only...duh...the other tail of the curve would be severely mentally handicapped.

[maui_hawaii]

Its like saying, "if we are going to be married, lets be married, but none of this halfway stuff..."

Tarriffs in the grand scheme of things should not be considered as a 'revenue producer'. Thats not their main aim.

True they will produce revenue, but thats not the main reason for having them.

[TomasUSMC]

More backstabbing of America's workers and students.

Why doesn't W take some of the billions we are spending on the Great Noble Religion of Peace and spend it on training our young people for high tech jobs? Its not like we are a tiny country like Iceland and don't have enough students.

Heck, every stinking city in America has a college or two in it. Instead we will give our best jobs to foreigners with H1b visas. We give our worst jobs to Illegals and the rest we outsource.

Of course that makes our workers take two jobs to make less than the one the lost - which is great for statistics.... since the politicos then claim they are making more jobs for America.

[Bigun]

The main reason why Democrats are doomed to lose is because they abandoned the previous New Deal platform and replaced it it with atheism, abortion and "gay marriage".

LOL! That is REALLY funny!

YES! Please do go ahead and keep trying to win the 2006 superbowl with a 1934 playbook!

[A. Pole]

Why doesn't W take some of the billions we are spending on the Great Noble Religion of Peace and spend it on training our young people for high tech jobs?

Because if the students go into debt to pay for college they will provide nice profit to the lenders.

[A. Pole]

YES! Please do go ahead and keep trying to win the 2006 superbowl with a 1934 playbook!

Do you really think that atheism, abortion and "gay marriage" help Democrats?

[Bigun]

NO! But is sure as heck isn't NEW!

[TomasUSMC]

But opposing imports of genuises is stark raving mad.

---

Importing genuises when you have a country of 300 million educated Americans, plenty of them genuises... is stark raving mad.

Importing these GENUISES so that big Biz can pay them less and work them harder than their American counterparts.... is Stark Raving Mad.

Especially when many of these GENUISES come here with contempt for America, then giving them security clearances...... that is without a doubt

STARK RAVING MAD

[Dat Mon]

Your suggestions are logical and well thought out. I didnt mean to imply that you are a libertarian...my comment was posted to the 'peanut gallery' I guess.

The fly in the ointment may be the number of trade agreements and 'negotiations' that are going to happen...lots of political special interest turmoil.

Are our folks in DC up to the challenge of implementing your system?

With my approach, all the negotiations go away, everyone is treated the same. American business competitiveness and interests are protected. Whats wrong with protecting American interests and American wealth and prosperity anyway...besides the fact that this is "protectionist"?

Of course, in and of itself, the uniformity doesn't necessarily make my approach better...we could all end up being hurt the same...but I don't think so.

But we need some reasoned debate here.

[maui_hawaii]

Free Trade isn't one's "right" to do trade. Thats how some make it out, as their personal (or corporate) consitutional right...

In fact the constitution says its not a "right" and that Congress has legislative authority over it.

You know though whats funny... these companies scream about people wanting government protection and they adamantly condemn those who ask for it...

Yet, last year alone something like 8 or 9 thousand requests were sent to the embassy in Beijing, by companies, asking for government help and intervention.

[Bigun]

Tariffs are a two edged sword that may very well be necessary in some instances but should NEVER EVER be used to protect inefficient domestic industries from HONEST competition with more efficient foreign producers as that is ALWAYS a failure in the long run and shoots the American consumer right in the foot!

[Nowhere Man]

The reason you buy a car - to move people from point (a) to point (b) quickly, in comfort and safety - was well met by those cars. That may be 80% of the value of a car. It would be interesting to see what the market price of a new '68 Buick would be today, if they sold for 50% of the price of a '06 Buick do you think there would be buyers? 75%?

What would it cost GM to make a '68 Buick today?

Hmmm, good question. I know for a while, perhaps they still do, they still make 1960's era Fords in South America when Ford sold them the dies. That would be something to ponder although I think the car companies are on the right track to market retro styled cars, I thought that Dodges new Challenger was actually a 1970 model pimped out a little. The Mustang looks cool too. Price wise, they seem to be a little high but I think they are on the right track. I think a lot of people forget that the purpose of the car is to get from point A to point B. Yeah, it is good to have comfort, I can go with a basic car but I need my air conditioning. B-) My mother's first car, a 1953 Ford had A/C.

Then you have the emission equipment on today's cars that were not around then although in the late 1960's, Ford did start putting the thermactor pump on their cars.

[maui_hawaii]

I apologize but I didn't see your proposed plan...

Will you direct me to it or sum it up for me in a post or two so I can get a feel for it?

As for if they are up for it, who knows? They better be otherwise we are gonna get our lunch ate.

I would say they are gung ho about negotiating the FTAs, but the tarriff parts they are reluctant.

As for reasoned debate... that is certainly lacking.

[Bigun]

Free Trade isn't one's "right" to do trade. Thats how some make it out, as their personal (or corporate) consitutional right...

Absolutely correct!

Truly FREE trade is that which occurs between parties without artificial restraint and is beneficial to all.

[Nowhere Man]

The middle class is being taken to the cleaners by "our" federal, local, and state governments, and by the companies we work for. TSHTF when companies start reneging on pensions and their underfunded retire medical benefits long "promised" as an inducement to employees.

Yeah, I see it myself. When that happens, you will get a lot of people who end up being really P.O.ed.

"Falling Down" was a stark reminder of how one's reaction to bothersome things, normally contained, can quickly escalate into unrestrained violence. It was frightening.

Just imagine that and multiply that by 10,000, 100,000 or even a million, it will not be pretty. It will make the Bonus Marchers of 1932 look tame by comparison.

[maui_hawaii]

I am not at all talking about protecting a particular industry here or there.

I am talking about protecting everything from legal protection, to IPR, to our system of doing things.

We are trading in many cases with a bunch of half (or full) communist or socialist who are seeking after targeted money.

If they want to compete using their government backing...thats not true competition. Thats how China and the associated problems with them arose.

If they have a true blue competitive advantage... so be it. If they are competitive because of targeted government subsidy... I say protect from that.

[Bigun]

I agree!

[Bigun]

I understand all that but we should not necessarily protect "our system of doing things" automatically! We should instead, get our own house in order so that we can compete on a level playing field with with anyone anywhere!

That is why reforming our tax system is so important and needs to be at the to of the list of things to be done!

[Dat Mon]

YOU SAID..."I apologize but I didn't see your proposed plan..."

Thats because I don't really have an overall plan or timetable at this point, other than ad hoc.

I cant get past step 1, which is getting the pubs in DC (or even on this site) to first agree that we have some problems in the areas I addressed, and not only start to push legislation forward with that reform objective, but have the same steadfastness that they are using to push a guest worker plan, or even this H1B extension.

So called "immigration reform" has a higher priority in the RNC and administration than these issues do, as far as I can tell. Lets start with the pols.

We need to have significant tax reform , and start having a public debate to that end. Somebody has to lead that debate.

The Tax Commission seems to be lost in subcommittee limbo.

Frankly, I dont see a comprehensive plan being put forth in DC to address these issues, but maybe Im just out of the loop.

[Nowhere Man]

No, it really didn't. I actually programmed TRS-80s in the 1970s, and trying to do anything useful in 4k of RAM was really rather pointless.

So have I, I was born in 1966. Yeah, 4K is pretty useless although if that is all what you had, you really had to watch how you code and so on and learn to cut corners. Level I BASIC sucked though, you needed at least Level II and 16K of RAM to do anything, even then you might had to watch your memory consumption. Still Radio Shack did have a chess program that did run in 4K although I can't testify how good it was.

And I'd take a 2006 Cobalt for 12 months pay over a 60s Bug for 6 months pay, any day.

Well, your choice but, man, a 60's bug is so cool and easier to fix although the rear engine can be a pain. I did talk to an oldtimer once and he had a '67 Beetle with A/C. Myself, I'd love to have a '65 Ford Galaxie or a car from the 1970's. I plan to get my 1977 Cougar back on the road.