CHESTERTOWN, MD – Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) met at Washington College today with commissioners from Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties. This meeting is part of a series the Senator is conducting throughout the state to celebrate legislative victories and hear local concerns.

“I know the Eastern Shore, I fight for the Eastern Shore, and I deliver for the Eastern Shore,” said Senator Mikulski. “It’s day to day needs, like upgrades to Route 113, and water sewer infrastructure. It’s also long term needs, like job creation and education. The Upper Shore County Commissioners can count on me in the U.S. Senate.”

On Tuesday of this week, Senator Mikulski secured a huge victory for small businesses on the Eastern Shore and across Maryland. The United States Senate passed Senator Mikulski’s “Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act” as an amendment to the Iraq-Afghanistan appropriations bill. Senator Mikulski’s legislation addresses the national visa shortage in the H2B program by exempting returning seasonal workers from the national cap of 66,000 people, while creating new anti-fraud provisions in the visa program, creating fair allocation of visas, and creating new reporting requirements so Congress can track how many people return each year through the H2B visa program. These temporary, documented workers are vital for many companies – including seafood processing, landscaping and hospitality companies – to stay in business. In fact, many companies use the H2B visa program year after year to legally hire temporary and seasonal workers when American workers are not available.

“Businesses all over the country, including many right here on the Shore, are facing a crisis,” said Senator Mikulski. “American companies desperately need seasonal workers so their businesses can survive the summer. But the national cap of H2B visas was reached so early this year that many Maryland businesses were not even allowed to apply. Without these temporary workers, many businesses could forced to limit services, lay off permanent U.S. workers or, worse yet, close their doors. We can’t let this happen. That’s why I have fought so hard for the Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act - a quick fix to the H2B problem and help ensure that our companies get the workers they need to stay in business. I’m so proud to be joined by 93 of my colleagues today to stand up for America’s businesses.”

Senator Mikulski also heard from the commissioners about pressing issues facing Upper Shore counties. “I’m here to give the County Commissioners a Washington update, but I’m also here to listen. As I fight for the day-to-day needs of Marylanders, I need to hear directly from the people. That’s where I get my best ideas,” noted Mikulski.

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