This is a new article from the San Jose Mercury news, which is biased toward cheap labor, including H-1B.

Note that there is no mention of anything that our "representatives" are doing for unemployed American tech workers.

"Lofgren, who represents tech executives and workers, said she could support "reforms and changes" in the visa system."

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http://www.mercurynews.com/nationworld/ci_6331029


Tech industry to keep pressing visa needs
IMMIGRATION REFORM'S COLLAPSE GETS FIRMS LOOKING ABROAD
By Frank Davies
MediaNews Washington Bureau
San Jose Mercury News
Article Launched:07/09/2007 01:29:41 AM PDT

WASHINGTON - Reeling from the collapse of a massive immigration bill, major tech firms plan to press for more visas and green cards for foreign workers - one element of the failed legislation - but admit they face political resistance and an uncertain future.

"We face a serious problem this year, Congress knows that, and we just have to keep pushing," said Robert Hoffman, an Oracle lobbyist. He said restrictive caps on H-1B and L visas for skilled workers and the long waiting time for green cards for some were limiting companies' growth and sending some jobs overseas.

But Ralph Hellmann, who lobbied on the Senate bill for the Information Technology Industry trade group, sounded an upbeat note. He said a separate measure increasing visas and green cards "is probably a better product now that we don't have to ride on a compre hensive bill."

Hoffman, who co-chairs Compete America, a coalition of businesses seeking immigration reform, said he hopes to meet with key congressional leaders on the issue, including Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., sponsor of the failed Senate bill, and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the San Jose Democrat who chairs the immigration subcommittee in the House.

"We'll have to see what's in the realm of the doable, whether it's long-term or a stop-gap," Hoffman said.

Lofgren sounded a note of caution Friday, saying progress on any component of the comprehensive bill may be difficult.

"We're in an assessment phase right now, and I don't know what can proceed - that's up to a very diverse group of people in the House and Senate," she said.

Other provisions of the failed immigration bill have champions who now see an opening for separate legislation.

Taking separate action

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, said the shortage in farm labor is a crisis that means her "ag jobs" proposal for more foreign workers "should be moved before any other immigration-related legislation."

She said she will work with Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, a co-sponsor, and industry and farmworker groups to push soon for that bill.

Lofgren said "there's a compelling case for the Dream Act," another part of the comprehensive bill that would allow some children of illegal immigrants to achieve legal status and make it easier to enter college or the military.

Several South Bay students last week launched a fast to show their support for the Dream Act, and they demonstrated Tuesday in front of Lofgren's San Jose office.

Immigration hard-liners who oppose any legalization process for undocumented workers said the failure of the Senate bill shows the need to improve border security and workplace enforcement.

Rep. Brian Bilbray, a San Diego Republican who chairs the House Immigration Reform Caucus, said a congressional consensus exists to pursue those goals this year.

Workforce in jeopardy

Meanwhile, thousands of highly skilled visa-holders who filed paperwork last month for green cards had a more immediate problem this week. Because of a dispute between the State Department and Immigration Services, and a huge backlog of applications, they were told no more green cards are available this year.

Large employers, including some in the tech sector, were told this year by the Bush administration to help pass the overall bill to secure some of their key goals. Those include almost doubling the number of H-1B visas to 115,000 a year, exempting 40,000 people with higher degrees from any restrictions, and speeding up the employer-based green card system for workers already here.

With the demise of the bill and uncertainty over future immigration, some California companies may shift operations to other countries, Lofgren said. Microsoft announced plans Thursday to open a software development center in Vancouver, British Columbia, which would "allow the company to recruit and retain highly skilled people affected by the immigration issues in the U.S."

In 2006, Microsoft secured 3,117 H-1B visas for its workers - the third-highest total - according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Lou Gellos, a Microsoft spokesman, said immigration uncertainty was "an issue, but not the defining reason" for opening the Canada center.

Criticism has also mounted over abuses and fraud in the H-1B visa system.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., citing government surveys, said that "job shops" and other brokers were misusing the system to bypass U.S. workers, bring in foreign workers for substandard wages, and outsource some jobs.

"Our immigration policy should seek to complement our U.S. workforce, not replace it," Durbin said last month during the Senate debate.

System left in limbo

After behind-the-scenes negotiations, tech companies acceded to some of the proposals from Durbin and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, to improve oversight and enforcement of the H-1B program by the Department of Labor. All companies would have to pledge to seek U.S. workers first for openings, and if an employer's visa-holders who are paid entry-level wages exceeded 30 percent of its workforce, a Labor Department audit would be automatic.

That agreement is now in limbo. If a serious push for an increase in visas makes progress, Durbin would want to include his proposals, an aide said.

Hoffman said tech representatives would agree to more enforcement "that is not punitive."

Lofgren, who represents tech executives and workers, said she could support "reforms and changes" in the visa system.

"It needs a good review - I've never thought that just increasing the numbers was in the cards," she said.

Contact Frank Davies at fdavies@mercurynews.com or (202) 662-8921.