CIO - While popular in the halls of Congress, the additional H-1 B visa fees tacked on to the most recent immigration appropriations bill drew mostly criticism outside of Washington. Some critics say it went too far; others say it didn't go far enough. Most agreed that the move would do little to protect or create U.S. IT jobs.

Meanwhile, the more substantial H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2009, introduced by Senators Richard Durbin and Chuck Grassley, has been in committee since April 2009 and is expected to stay put through the remainder of the year.

Phil Fersht, founder of outsourcing analyst firm Horses for Sources, views Congress's recent efforts to curb offshore outsourcing as "merely political grandstanding from the protectionist lobby that will only encourage further offshoring."

http://www.computerworld.com/s/artic...ers_2010-09-07