Immigration
Information related to Issues concerning Immigration.
June 25, 2013
I have long believed that solving illegal immigration starts with fixing legal immigration. Our immigration system is completely broken and in desperate need of reform. The borders are not secure. We do not have a functioning entry-exit system. We have an inept guest worker program, no national e-verify system, and we educate extremely smart and talented high-skilled people only to send them back to their home countries instead of allowing them here to contribute to our economy.
Each of these issues needs to be addressed on its own merits. I am very hesitant to pass one massive comprehensive bill. "Comprehensive" is slowly becoming a code word for amnesty. History has shown that massive legislation tends to collapse under its own weight because inevitably it contains something for everyone to disagree with. For that reason I prefer a step-by-step, incremental, one-issue-at-a-time approach.
Listed below is incremental, commonsense legislation that I support that advances the mission of fixing legal immigration:
The Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act (Original Sponsor)
In the 112th Congress I introduced The Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act. This bill would eliminate the per country numerical limitation for employment-based visas and adjusts the limitations on family visas without increasing the total number of available visas. We need to continue allowing highly skilled and educated immigrants to contribute to this country.
The language in the bill is included in Rep. Issa’s Skills Act (see below), and in the Senate’s “Gang of Eight” immigration bill.
HR 2278, Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act (Cosponsor)
The SAFE Act improves the interior enforcement of our immigration laws by granting states and localities the authority to enforce federal immigration laws. The bill strengthens national security by increasing border security, making it more difficult for foreign nationals who pose a national security risk to enter and remain in the U.S., improving visa security in high risk countries, and protecting American communities from dangerous criminal aliens.
This legislation passed through the House Judiciary Committee in June 2013.
HR 1773, Agricultural Guestworker Act (Cosponsor)
The “AG” Act will provide American farmers with a workable temporary agricultural guestworker program that will help provide access to a reliable workforce. Successful guest worker programs created by this bill will help deter illegal immigration, protect the jobs of U.S. workers, discourage the exploitation of unauthorized workers, and stabilize industries.
This legislation passed through the House Judiciary Committee in June 2013.
HR 1772, Legal Workforce Act (Cosponsor)
E-Verify allows employers to electronically verify that newly-hired employees are legally authorized to work in the United States. This legislation expands the E-Verify system and makes it mandatory for all U.S. employers. This will protect American jobs for citizens and legal immigrants.
Currently this legislation is under consideration in the House Judiciary Committee.
HR 2131, Supplying Knowledge Based Immigrants and Lifting Levels of STEM Visas Act (Cosponsor)
The SKILLS Act, also known as the SKILLS Visa Act, provides American employers with access to the world’s best talent by allocating green cards to foreign graduates of U.S. universities with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, increasing H-1B visas, and repealing the employment-based per-country cap.
Currently this legislation is under consideration in the House Judiciary Committee.
HR 1417, Border Security Results Act (Voted in favor of)
This legislation would compel the Department of Homeland Security to develop a strategy for gaining operational control of our borders in two years and requires them to utilize technology to gain situational awareness and to produce metrics to accurately gauge progress.
This bipartisan legislation passed through the House Homeland Security Committee by unanimous vote in May 2013.
I am committed to fixing the legal immigration system in this country and look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and on both sides of the Capitol in accomplishing this important goal.
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