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.

[SwordofTruth]

And why should a U.S. student bust their hump for four or five or six years only to join a profession that's racing towards the bottom in terms of compensation?

There is absolutely no reason for any Ameircan to do this unless they too want to start an offshore outsourcing company.

[SwordofTruth]

And why should a U.S. student bust their hump for four or five or six years only to join a profession that's racing towards the bottom in terms of compensation?

There is absolutely no reason for any Ameircan to do this unless they too want to start an offshore outsourcing company.

[maui_hawaii]

US wages are higher than they have ever been

I didn't even get past this part of your propaganda post. Thats a lie.

[SwordofTruth]

And why should a U.S. student bust their hump for four or five or six years only to join a profession that's racing towards the bottom in terms of compensation?

There is absolutely no reason for any Ameircan to do this unless they too want to start an offshore outsourcing company.

[SwordofTruth]

And why should a U.S. student bust their hump for four or five or six years only to join a profession that's racing towards the bottom in terms of compensation?

There is absolutely no reason for any Ameircan to do this unless they too want to start an offshore outsourcing company.

[raybbr]

I think he is a trust baby.

LOL

Must be. He has no real understanding of the way things work in real life. Life is a theory for JasonC.

[SwordofTruth]

And why should a U.S. student bust their hump for four or five or six years only to join a profession that's racing towards the bottom in terms of compensation?

There is absolutely no reason for any Ameircan to do this unless they too want to start an offshore outsourcing company.

[SwordofTruth]

And why should a U.S. student bust their hump for four or five or six years only to join a profession that's racing towards the bottom in terms of compensation?

There is absolutely no reason for any Ameircan to do this unless they too want to start an offshore outsourcing company.

[JasonC]

Nope, no trust funds. Father grew up in Scranton coal country, son of an Irish immigrant who worked for a railroad. Bright enough to get into MIT. Helped the navy make wonders for the last 40 years (civilian scientist in Navy labs). Merit, justice, opporunity - remember?

[e_castillo]

"Encourage students to major in science and engineering so that they can compete with an unlimited number of foreign imports willing to work for less. Good plan, Mr. President."

That sums it up well. Thanks for posting it on top of the tread.

[montag813]

Once again, he panders to the Congress to get cheap labor for business, while fully qualified Americans are looking for those jobs.

Open borders. Unlimited visas for foreign workers. Bankruptcy prohibiition for Americans. What kind of agenda is this?

[SwordofTruth]

And why should a U.S. student bust their hump for four or five or six years only to join a profession that's racing towards the bottom in terms of compensation?

There is absolutely no reason for any Ameircan to do this unless they too want to start an offshore outsourcing company.

[SwordofTruth]

And why should a U.S. student bust their hump for four or five or six years only to join a profession that's racing towards the bottom in terms of compensation?

There is absolutely no reason for any Ameircan to do this unless they too want to start an offshore outsourcing company.

[SwordofTruth]

And why should a U.S. student bust their hump for four or five or six years only to join a profession that's racing towards the bottom in terms of compensation?

There is absolutely no reason for any Ameircan to do this unless they too want to start an offshore outsourcing company.

[BlackbirdSST]

Is there no end to his lunacy on the immigration front. If I didn't "know" better, I would say there is a conspiracy to replace our present population with another one.

You're closer to the truth than you realize. Hang in there though, it's going to get a lot worse before it gets any better. Blackbird.

[hedgetrimmer]

He'd rather stay here and pay taxes here send some of that $5 billion in remittance money back to India.

[JasonC]

Of course they go. Congress delegates some decisions to trade reps to give them leverage negotiating with other countries. But how much is entirely up to the Congress, which can change trade laws any way they please anytime they please. Including withdrawing from any treaty they don't like. Every time Congress freely choses a policy some protectionist doesn't like, protectionists pretend they don't have the decision. Wrong, you just didn't win a debate within the Congress.

[JasonC]

Low unemployment rate plus record total employed plus record average hourly wages proves that all the nonsense about supposed net loss of jobs or supposed deterioration in job quality is nonsense, false, made up out of whole cloth, conscious ideological lying.

[maui_hawaii]

Helped the navy make wonders for the last 40 years (civilian scientist in Navy labs). Merit, justice, opporunity - remember?

So you got a lock on a government job that can't be outsourced...thats what you're telling us.

Merit maybe, along with a government policy....

[SwordofTruth]

And why should a U.S. student bust their hump for four or five or six years only to join a profession that's racing towards the bottom in terms of compensation?

There is absolutely no reason for any Ameircan to do this unless they too want to start an offshore outsourcing company.