March 7, 2000
Senate Action: This Thursday, March 9, the Senate Judiciary Committee will mark up S. 2045, the Hatch/Abraham H-1B bill AILA strongly supports. Please help us alert Senate Judiciary Committee Members about the need for an increase in the number of H-1B visas, the importance of a useable H-1B program, and your support and that of your clients for this legislation. Please contact the Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who represent states in which you or your clients have a presence. The capital switchboard is 202-224-3121 -- just ask for the Senate office with which you wish to speak.
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah): Chairman -- primary sponsor of S. 2045
Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-SC): Not co-sponsor
Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-IA): Not co-sponsor
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA): co-sponsor
Sen. Jon L. Kyl (R-AZ): not co-sponsor
Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH): co-sponsor
Sen. John Ashcroft (R-MO): co-sponsor
Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-MI): co-sponsor
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL): not co-sponsor
Sen. Robert C. Smith (R-NH): not co-sponsor
Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT): not co-sponsor
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA): not co-sponsor
Sen. Joseph R. Biden (D-DE): not co-sponsor
Sen. Herbert H. Kohl (D-WI): not co-sponsor
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA): co-sponsor
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI): not co-sponsor
Sen. Robert G. Torricelli (D-NJ): not co-sponsor
Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY): not co-sponsor
Message: S. 2045 will keep our economy growing. Support S. 2045. There is a shortage of professional workers. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has said this professional worker shortage poses a threat to our continued economic boom, and that one solution may be to increase the cap on H-1B workers. S. 2045 does just that, and is a short-term solution to the nation's shortage of skilled professional workers.
House Action: Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) has just introduced H.R. 3814 which AILA and the business community strongly oppose. (Original co-sponsors are Representatives Tom Campbell (R-CA), Christopher Cannon (R-UT) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)). Not only would this bill not actually provide any additional visas -- the 45,000 that it would allot for FY2000 would be available only when DOL issues final H-1B/ACWIA regulations, it also includes many other poison pills. Please contact your Representatives (and have your clients contact theirs) and urge them to oppose H.R. 3814.
Message: HR 3814 will stifle our economic growth. Oppose HR 3814. There is a shortage of professional workers. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has said this professional worker shortage poses a threat to our continued economic boom, and that one solution may be to increase the cap on H-1B workers. Not only does it not really raise the cap, but HR 3814 also imposes new burdens and would bar most small- and mid-sized businesses from using temporary foreign professional workers brought in on what would become an overly restrictive H-1B visa. HR 3814 would help cut short the largest economic boom in U.S. history. Oppose moves to short-circuit our economy. Oppose HR 3814.