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To: <Unemployed American>
Subject: Correspondence From Senator Lieberman
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July 11, 2003
Mr. Unemployed American
Somewhere in
Connecticut
Dear Mr. American
Thank you for contacting me to express your support for restrictions on
the H1-B Visa program. I appreciate you sharing your concerns with me
about this issue.
The H1-B visa program was amended in 1998, at a time of very low
unemployment, to increase the maximum allotment of visas to 195,000 for
2000-03. In 2004 it is scheduled to decrease to 65,000. While in the
past, I supported these measures because proceeds from visa applications
would be used to ensure more American youths study engineering and
computer science; plus, retrain experienced members of our workforce to
go into these industries, I share your view that as unemployment increases
we should re-examine the need to increase h1-B visa.
Over half of the visas awarded are given to foreign professionals that
are experts in information technology (IT). However, the current downturn
has caused H1-B visa applications to plummet from 163,000 to approximately
65,000. Right now, there are an estimated 180,000 experienced IT
professionals looking for employment, I support immediately enacting
another stimulus package to increase investment for the tech sector to get
these technology professionals back in the workforce. Furthermore, the
General Accounting Office has been commissioned to complete a report to
Congress on whether the influx of foreign temporary workers has had a
negative impact on the U.S. labor market.
There is a parallel concern that our security agencies and immigration
officials are incapable of adequately monitoring foreign visitors once
they are inside our borders. This predicament must be reconciled in
order to formulate a sustainable long term immigration policy. There have
been no H1-B visa holders ever implicated in a plot against the United
States; however, the visa program must be implemented as part of an
overall immigration policy.
As you may know, Congressman Thomas Tancredo (R-CO) has introduced
legislation to significantly decrease the maximum allotment of H1-B visas.
H.R. 3222, the High-tech Work Fairness and Economic Stimulus Act of 2001,
set the visa maximum at 65,000 annually and mandates that for each quarter
of a percentage point that the unemployment rate goes above six percent,
the H1-B visa maximum allotment must decrease by 10,000. H.R. 3222 was
still pending debate before the House Subcommittee on Immigration and
Claims at the close of the 107th Congress. Although this bill was not
considered by the full Senate this session, please be assured that I will
keep your specific views in mind should this measure come before the full
Senate in the 108th Congress.
I am also pleased to let you know that I have launched an e-mail
newsletter, through my official Senate web site, to keep constituents
up-to-date on my efforts on behalf of Connecticut. You can sign up for
clicking on the "Subscribe to E-mail Newsletter" button under my "Welcome"
message. I hope this service is informative and useful.
Thank you again for letting me know your views and concerns. Please
contact me if you have any additional questions or comments about our work
in Congress.
Sincerely,
Joe Lieberman
JIL:kht
Please note that I have altered my name and address for security purposes.