Sanders, Grassley introduce new guest visa restrictions

[babylonsister]

Sanders, Grassley introduce new guest visa restrictions
By Tony Romm - 11/20/09 11:54 AM ET


A Senate bill introduced Thursday would prohibit big companies that announce massive layoffs from subsequently hiring foreign workers to fill their ranks.

The Employ America Act, sponsored by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), is an attempt to combat what both lawmakers said was an obvious attempt by major firms to capitalize on cheap labor using the guest visa program during this year's economic downturn.

"Our foreign guest worker programs are in place to fill employment needs where there is a shortage of American workers, not as a subterfuge to hire cheap labor," Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement on Thursday.

"With the unemployment rate over 10 percent, companies that undertake mass layoffs shouldn’t need to hire foreign guest workers when there are plenty of qualified Americans looking for jobs,” he added.

Sanders and Grassley's bill builds off another, similar guest visa proposal they introduced earlier this year as part of the federal stimulus program. That provision prevents firms that received any portion of the Troubled Asset Relief Program from replacing laid-off Americans with guest-visa authorized workers.

Their new effort, however, is far more expansive.

more...

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/68863-sanders-grassley-introduce-new-guest-visa-restictions

[Craftsman]

1. I wish them luck

[Hello_Kitty]

2. ZOMGWTFBBQ!!1!1!!2! TWO BERNIE SANDERS IS A XENOPHOBE!!1!1

[laughingliberal]

3. Strange bedfellows...but good legislation

May the wind be at their backs.

[SharonRB]

4. Nice to see some real bipartisanship

I hope they can get this through.

[OhioChick]

5. No Dems? n/t

[quiet.american]

6. Just fainted.... Grassley is finally making himself useful. nt

[Greyhound]

7. K&R

[anigbrowl]

8. That seems like a reasonably balanced proposal. I'm an immigrant, BTW.

The only change I'd made would be lengthening the time from 30 days following layoffs to 90 or 180. also, maybe loosening the terms for visa holders so they can be promoted or more easily seek alternative employment. that would cut down on companies hiring h1-Bs and then keeping their wages artificially low with the argument that the government doesn't allow them to reward productivity, thus creating more competition in the labor market (pay reasonable wages or see your employees leave to work for your competitors).

[ChromeFoundry]

9. K&R n/t