Congressman Mo Brooks Praises President Trump's Executive Order Blocking Cheap Foreign Labor
Washington, DC— Tuesday, Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) praised President Trump’s proclamation blocking cheap foreign labor importation through the end of 2020.
Find the text of President Trump’s proclamation HERE.
Attached is a fact sheet about President Trump’s proclamation.
Congressman Brooks said, “America suffers from some of the worst unemployment ever recorded. The unemployment rate nearly quadrupled between February and May of 2020 and now stands at 13.3%. Over 40 million Americans lost jobs over the past four months. President Trump’s Executive Order suspending foreign worker visas through the end of 2020 is great news for struggling American workers.”
Brooks continued, “I’m pleased President Trump heeded the advice of my colleagues and I who recently asked for a halt to importing cheap foreign labor.[1] I’m also pleased President Trump refused to cave to intense pressure from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other special interest groups that, out of greed and self-interest, had the hutzpah to demand the importation of even more cheap foreign labor despite the severe damage done to struggling, jobless American families.”[2]
Brooks continued, “Each year, America issues roughly 1 million foreign worker visas. That’s on top of the roughly 7 million illegal aliens who hold jobs in America.[3] Not only do foreign workers take American jobs, cheap foreign labor significantly undermines American wages. According to Harvard economist Dr. George Borjas, between 1980 and 2000, importing cheap foreign labor cut earnings of Americans by an estimated $1,700 per year, or roughly 4 percent.”[4]
Brooks concluded, “There are no jobs Americans will not do if offered free market pay to do them. I support the free-enterprise system that requires employers to pay what is necessary to attract employees with needed skills. I applaud President Trump for forcing American companies to pay American workers what they are worth without the suppressant effect of cheap foreign labor.”
Excerpt from President Trump’s proclamation: “… between February and April of 2020, more than 17 million United States jobs were lost in industries in which employers are seeking to fill worker positions tied to H-2B nonimmigrant visas. During this same period, more than 20 million United States workers lost their jobs in key industries where employers are currently requesting H-1B and L workers to fill positions.”
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[3] https://www.fairus.org/issue/workforce-economy/illegal-aliens-taking-us-jobs
[4] https://cis.org/sites/cis.org/files/articles/2004/back504.pdf