Posted on 09/16/2003 4:01:46 AM PDT by TopQuark
'Bush totally against scrapping H1-B visas'
By Ela Dutt, Indo-Asian News Service
Tuesday September 16, 10:50 AM
New York, Sep 16 (IANS) U.S. President George W. Bush is reportedly against a critical bill now in Congress that would cut down H1-B visas dramatically, affecting skilled IT and other workers from India.
At a private reception attended by eight Indian Americans in Jackson, Mississippi, Bush vehemently expressed his opposition to House Resolution 2688, a bill introduced by Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado, according to those attending the meeting.
Immigration attorney Paresh Shah, who was present at the meeting, said he specifically questioned the president regarding his stand on the bill in which Rep. Tancredo has called for terminating the H1-B visa programme altogether.
"Bush spread his hands as wide apart as possible and stated unequivocally that 'Tancredo and I are at opposite ends of the pole. I fully do not support Congressman Tancredo's bill against H1-Bs'," Shah told IANS.
The Tancredo bill has raised hackles both in India and among Indian Americans and other supporters of the community.
"In fact in India and the U.S. there is an understanding that President Bush supports Tancredo's efforts to close the H1-B programme as Tancredo is a fellow Republican and also because the unemployment figures are so high and many people feel that it is a result of H1-Bs occupying American jobs," Shah said.
But the president's statements prove the opposite, he said. Shah is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) that presented its counter proposal on the H1-B visa reduction programme to the president at the gathering.
The private reception was in honour of the Mississippi Republican gubernatorial candidate Haley Barbour and netted $1.2 million for his campaign.
Besides Bush, other noted luminaries at the reception included former senate majority leader Trent Lott of Mississippi as well as Karl Rove, the president's chief campaign advisor. Sampath Shivangi of Mississippi organised the exclusive Indian American delegation.
The California delegation, besides Shah, included Indo-American Friendship Council chairman Krishna Reddy.
Currently, there are some estimated 900,000 H1-B employees in the U.S., 35-45 percent of whom are from India, according to AILA.
"Judging from the president's strong negative reaction to the Tancredo bill, it's apparent that the president understands that the current unemployment situation in the U.S. is not due to H1-B visa holders taking American jobs," Shah contended.
"As soon as I mentioned the visa, he knew what I was talking about, he knew about the Tancredo bill, he knew what it meant. From his immediate grasp of the H1-B issue, and his strong support for continuing the programme, he understands also that these foreign specialty workers are basically a much needed element of our economy," Shah said.
By implication, some observers contend the president is not going to be against business outsourcing as well.
Beginning October 1, the H1-B visas quota will revert back to the 65,000 per annum level it was before it was raised a few years ago to 195,000.
Shah also submitted AILA's proposal on the L-1 visa programme to counteract the various legislation currently pending in Congress to limit its usage.
"The L-1 Visa programme is heavily used by the Indian community. Last year, Indians comprised 24.4 percent of the worldwide L-1 visas issued, making them by far the number one group of users of this visa programme," Shah stated.
I never blame Bush for the economy. But when he spits on Americans in favor of Indian workers there is a problem.
For sure.
This entire jobs thing, including illegal immigration, is the Republican Achilles Heel. One would thinks tacticians as astute as Karl Rove would see that. On the other hand, maybe they think the big campaign donations will override the problems with cash and advertising.
I have bad news for them....
They could care less about the shrinking middle-class American whom they are destroying on a daily basis.
Mr. Bush cares so much about the plight of the American worker(sarcasm), thats why he appointed a “manufacturing czar” as a PR move to quiet the sheep as they are being lead to the slaughter.
The President doesn't give a damn about any American worker; this story is just one more confirmation of that fact. He is much more concerned about the low-wage visa workers that are stealing American jobs right here in the USA.
This is the reason President Bush has lost my vote in the next Presidential election. I doubt that I am the only one who will repay the President's back-of-the-hand to American workers with a no-show or a vote for the Rat party come election day.
GW will be a one-term President just like his dad and for the very same reason!
The stupid party never learns!
Bush's position makes sense if and only if the Pubbies plan to go into the mass vote-fraud business....
Clinton signed GATT and NAFTA, Bush is extending it. What exactly is the choice here? Tweedle dee or Tweedle dum. Kinda reminds me of that Simpsons episode where two alien invaders took over Clinton and Dole, and people had to choose between aliens for president.
Get with the times. It's the 21st century.
LET THEM FLIP HAMBURGERS !!
<^..^>
Nor I! I've been a lifelong Pubbie, as is my mom, as were here parents. Now that W has morphed into FDR-lite, and daily expresses contempt for our manufacturing base and hi-tech industries, I will either sit it out, or vote 3rd party if one pops up.
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