Thread: Business Focuses on Advantages of Immigration Reform

Business Community Focuses on Advantages of Immigration Reform

By: Jeff Patch

March 27, 2007 05:52 PM EST

Immigration reform is on its way back as an issue on Capitol Hill, but the contours of the debate could shift if proponents have their way.

Business leaders, who have built an alliance with immigration advocates, want to emphasize that the various legislative proposals would allow more high-skilled workers into the United States. The proposals' adjustments would also make it easier for foreign graduate students to obtain visas and extend their stays here.

"It doesn't make a lot of sense that we're training them just to ship them back to their own country so they're competing against us," says Heath Weems, the director of education and workforce policy for the National Association of Manufacturers.

The strategy of elevating the less controversial segments of the reform legislation is aimed at minimizing the divisive, emotional battles over what is to be done with the millions of low-skilled immigrants already in the country. That issue divided Congress last year, stalling passage of legislation sought by President Bush. It also carried a political price, as post-election polls show that the sometimes harsh rhetoric on Capitol Hill pushed Hispanic voters toward Democrats in November, helping them take over the Congress.

But it's a difficult angle that opponents of reform are working furiously to undermine. Rosemary Jenks, director of government relations at the anti-reform NumbersUSA organization, called proposed legislation in the House "a monstrous amnesty plan that would have a devastating impact on American workers, particularly the most vulnerable American workers," a reference to legal immigrants.

She said her group plans to use its million-strong e-mail list to rally opposition; in the two weeks leading up to the March 22 introduction of the House bill, her organization sent more than 500,000 faxes to Congress opposing it.

Several reform proposals are likely to be floated on Capitol Hill. The core aspects of the proposals include an increase in the number of visas issued for highly skilled workers coupled with a path for those with fewer skills to become citizens. Those plans could include having them pay fines, learn English or return to their native country for a brief period.

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.) introduced a bill last week with Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and 30 other co-sponsors. Activists say another measure could be introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Judiciary subcommittee that oversees immigration. A spokeswoman for Lofgren did not return calls to comment.

In the Senate, Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) is reworking a comprehensive bill that had the backing of the White House last year and was co-sponsored by John McCain (R-Ariz.). But McCain, who is running for president, has backed away this year from the legislation, which is certain to be hotly opposed by Republican Party activists who are pushing for a crackdown on illegal immigrants.

Both sides are gearing up for another fierce debate. The November election, an embattled White House and an organized business community could give reform advocates a new edge in the fight. In addition, opponents of the bill must regroup this year after a dispute over internal spending has hobbled one of their most visible and high-pitched members: the California-based Minutemen Project, which organizes people to patrol the Mexican border.

Democrats see an opportunity to firm up their support among the nation's fast-growing Hispanic electorate, which could boost the party's electoral prospects in 2008 and perhaps for decades.

The White House is hungry for a domestic victory, and immigration reform has been a top Bush priority, in part because his political advisers see the same electoral advantages for Republicans as the Democrats do.

The president has assembled a group of Republican senators to reach agreement on a set of principles that could create the basis for a bipartisan bill. Angela Kelley, the National Immigration Forum's deputy director, says that's a change from last year, when the White House was largely absent from the debate beyond East Room speeches or comments to reporters.

More than 300 groups lobbied on immigration last year, records show, a reflection of how the complex legislation could have broad ramifications in the business world as well as in the immigrant community. For instance, NAM supports changes in the way businesses must document their workers. Meanwhile, the American Farm Bureau supports a section that would allow for a guest worker program that could get them through harvests.

"People talk about fly-ins (to lobby lawmakers on the bill), but we have people that are coming in every week meeting with various members on Capitol Hill," says Paul Schlegel, director of public policy for the American Farm Bureau. "It's a constant, ongoing presence."

Indeed, the corporate interest in immigration reform could be the tipping point. Three coalitions have been formed to help push through changes in the visas for highly skilled workers; for ammunition, they point to a recent Duke University study that found that 25 percent of new high-tech firms were founded by immigrants between 1995 and 2005.

In January, Bush called on Congress to increase the number of so-called H-1B visas, time-limited permits that allow foreigners to work in the U.S. in areas where comparably trained American workers are in short supply. Current law caps those visas at 65,000 a year -- a limit that business advocates say is matched by the number of applications in a single month. The House boosts it to 115,000, with an automatic 20 percent hike -- up to 180,000 -- if all the visas for the current fiscal year are issued.

Critics say some are abusing the program by paying immigrant engineers below-market wages, which allows employers to make lower contract bids and take jobs from U.S. workers. There also is some risk that the pro-reform coalition could splinter, because the business groups seeking visa changes are not embracing other segments of the legislation aimed at managing the nation's more than 10 million illegal immigrants.

"Everything is going to go in one package. It's kind of like, How is the sausage made?" says Angelo Amador, director of immigration policy for the Chamber of Commerce. "There are some people that might care about high-tech visas but don't care about essential workers. All that stuff is in the bill, so everybody pushes for the same bill."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0307/3308.html

Based on this article Americans come 2nd not only to business, but to illegals...

"It doesn't make a lot of sense that we're training them just to ship them back to their own country so they're competing against us," says Heath Weems, the director of education and workforce policy for the National Association of Manufacturers.

Perhaps we should worry more about educating our own and not every foreign national that has a family with money!

More than 300 groups lobbied on immigration last year, records show,

I would be interested in the follow-up of who exactly these 300 "groups" and/or "businesses" are. If anyone has any idea, please fill me in---I would love to add them to B of A, Miller, etc. boycott list!

I did find this at the end of the article, and uh-hum, where are we on the list of "ENFORCEMENT PROPONENTS"?




COMPREHENSIVE REFORMERS

Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, National Immigration Forum, Essential Worker Immigration Coalition, National Association of Manufacturers, American Farm Bureau Federation

MEMBERS

Corporations and trade associations seeking H-1B visa reform and employee enforcement changes, religious groups, civil rights organizations, unions and others who want comprehensive immigration reform.

LOBBYING MUSCLE

Neither side could or would disclose an exact dollar figure, and the number of trade associations that include immigration issues in their lobbying portfolio makes any estimate impractical. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, 326 groups lobbied on immigration issues in 2006.

ALLIES ON CAPITOL HILL

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)

PITCH

Most of the coalition supports the House bill and wants compromise in the Senate on broad immigration reform. Some companies and trade associations, however, are pushing only for visa and employee enforcement reform and warn that they may not support the entire bill.

TACTICS

•Meeting with legislators

•Filing lawsuits advocating immigrants' rights

•Calling congressional offices
ENFORCEMENT PROPONENTS

Federation for American Immigration Reform, NumbersUSA, U.S. Border Control, Minutemen Project

MEMBERS

The main coalitions seek broader enforcement mechanisms to stop illegal immigration such as tighter border controls and a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border. They also vigorously oppose any path to citizenship, which they deem amnesty.

LOBBYING MUSCLE

Neither side could or would disclose an exact dollar figure, and the number of trade associations that include immigration issues in their lobbying portfolio makes any estimate impractical. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, 326 groups lobbied on immigration issues in 2006.

ALLIES ON CAPITOL HILL

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.)

PITCH

Those seeking border controls and even immigrant reduction want to kill the House bill and quash any potential measures in the Senate. They argue that any program allowing illegal immigrants now in the United States to become citizens is tantamount to amnesty and rewards lawbreakers. They also say such a program would hurt U.S. workers.



TACTICS

•Meeting with legislators

•E-mailing supporters urging action

•Calling congressional offices