Thread: ‘Positive Gesture’: House to Consider Limited GOP Immigration Bill - STEM Jobs Act

‘Positive Gesture’: House to Consider Limited GOP Immigration Bill

Posted on November 23, 2012 at 12:45pm
by Scott Baker
Comments (12)

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans still smarting from their poor showing among Hispanics in the presidential election are planning a vote next week on immigration legislation that would both expand visas for foreign science and technology students and make it easier for those with green cards to bring their immediate families to the U.S.

Republican leaders made it clear after the election that the party was ready to get serious about overhauling the nation’s dysfunctional immigration system, a top priority for Hispanic communities. Taking up what is called the STEM Jobs Act during the lame-duck session could be seen as a first step in that direction.

The House voted on a STEM bill — standing for science, technology, engineering and mathematics — in September, but under a procedure requiring a two-thirds majority. It was defeated, with more than 80 percent of Democrats voting against it, because it offset the increase in visas for high-tech graduates by eliminating another visa program that is available for less-educated foreigners, many from Africa.

Republicans are changing the formula this time by adding a provision long sought by some immigration advocates — expanding a program that allows the spouses and minor children of people with permanent residence, or green card, to wait in the United States for their own green cards to be granted.

There are some 80,000 of these family-based green cards allocated every year, but there are currently about 322,000 husbands, wives and children waiting in this category and on average people must wait more than two years to be reunited with their families. In that past that wait could be as long as six years.

The House proposal would allow family members to come to the U.S. one year after they apply for their green cards, but they wouldn’t be able to work until they actually got the card. It applies to the families of green card holders who marry after getting their residency permits.

Bruce Morrison, a former Democratic congressman from Connecticut who chaired the House immigration subcommittee and authored a 1990 immigration law, said the bill neither increases the number of green cards nor gives people green cards early. But people “get the most important benefit of being able to live legally in the United States with their spouses.”

Morrison, an immigration policy lobbyist who advocates for groups such as American Families United, called the bill a stepping-stone to more comprehensive immigration reform, That Republicans initiated it “to me is a positive gesture that they want to do business on this subject,” he said

Megan Whittemore, spokeswoman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., a key proponent of the STEM Act, said the bill is “family friendly, helping spouses and minor children who would otherwise be separated from their families for extended periods of time.”

​Note: Here is video of Cantor’s remarks on the STEM Act from earlier this year:



The bill will be taken up this time under normal procedures requiring only a majority vote, and it is almost certain to pass the Republican-led House. It remains to be seen whether it will engender enough Democratic support to give it momentum as it heads to the Democratic-controlled Senate.

It would give 55,000 green cards a year to doctoral and masters graduates in the STEM fields. The measure, strongly backed by U.S. high-tech companies, would make it easier for people trained in the United States to put their skills to work for American companies rather than non-American competitors.

But the legislation would still eliminate the Diversity Visa Lottery Program which gives out a similar 55,000 green cards a year to those from countries, including many in Africa, with traditionally low rates of immigration to the U.S. That prompted the House’s Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus to all come out against it in September.

​Note: Here is video of Rep. Darrell Issa talking about the STEM Act back in September:



The three caucuses said Republicans were trying to increase legal immigration for people they want by ending immigration for people they don’t want.

Crystal Williams, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the bill is a message from Republicans that “we are here and we are ready to talk about immigration reform.”

But she said she doubted it will make much progress in the Senate during the short lame-duck session. People “are now starting to think about broader reform,” she said, adding that a limited bill that doesn’t increase visas won’t get a lot of support.

House to Consider Limited GOP Immigration Bill | STEM Jobs Act | Rep. Eric Cantor | TheBlaze.com

Newsletter Week of Nov 23

This Issue: Lame-Duck Congress readies for 15 more days of legislative work

The Lame-Duck Congress returns on Tuesday, and already there are a few immigration-related items on the agenda. There are no bills coming up that NumbersUSA is officially taking a position on, but we'll continue to monitor the House as immigration-related legislation is considered.

With the Lame-Duck Congress returning for 2-3 more weeks before adjourning for the rest of the year, this is a good time to remind all of our activists that you will be represented during the Lame-Duck session by your old House Representative.

A few weeks ago, many of you who have faced redistricting, went to the polls and voted in your new House district. That district, however, won't take effect until the 113th Congress is seated in January. The Lame-Duck Congress is still the 112th Congress, so your House Representative is who's been representing you for the past two years.

This may cause some confusion for you on your Action Board. For example, my area has been redistricted from Virginia's 11th Congressional District to the 1st District. On election day, I voted in the 1st Congressional District race, which was won by incumbent Rep. Rob Wittman. B ut during the Lame-Duck Congress, I will still be represented by Rep. Gerry Connolly, so faxes for the next few weeks faxes posted on my Action Board will be for Rep. Connolly.

After the first of year, we will begin the transition of our faxing system to represent the new districts and Members of Congress. It will likely take us a week or so once the new Congress is seated to get all of your Action Boards updated. We have to wait for official word of where everyones offices will be and what their contact numbers will be. So please be patient as we begin this transition after the first of the year.

All of us at NumbersUSA hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! We are truly thankful for all that you do. Since election day, you've sent 207,035 faxes, sending a clear message to Washington that Americans will not support another mass amnesty bill!

CHRIS CHMIELENSKI
Fri, Nov 23^rd

Originally Posted by AirborneSapper7

But the legislation would still eliminate the Diversity Visa Lottery Program which gives out a similar 55,000 green cards a year to those from countries, including many in Africa, with traditionally low rates of immigration to the U.S. That prompted the House’s Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus to all come out against it in September.

Despite the high rates of black unemployment and black incarceration, the CBC cannot bring itself to put Americans first. Yikes.

In 2009 the CBC was all for diverting T.A.R.P. assets to job creation and job training for American citizens. What has happened?