Response from Senator Murray

Well it's been another week since I've had an opportunity to post anything to this blog. That what happens when you have to work for a living that includes 4 hours of commuting everyday. Anyway, at least I'm working. I know many who are not, in spite of what BushCo claims that the economy is picking up and unemployment is down. Speaking of working, here is a letter that I recieved from Senator Murray concerning immigrant labor...............Scott




Dear Mr. Brineman:

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding the H-1B visa program.
I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.

As you may know, Congress established the H-1B visa program in 1990 to enable
United States employers to hire temporary professional workers from outside the
US. The H-1B category provides “specialty occupation” visas to employers and
individuals who are able to meet labor attestation requirements, and the
numerical limit on H-1B visas issued is 65,000 annually.

In October 2000, Congress passed the American Competitiveness in the
Twenty-first Century Act of 2000, which raised the number of H-1B visas by
297,500 over three years. In addition, the law earmarked a portion of training
funds for information technology shortage areas, including a K-12 math, science
and technology education grant program. The law also raised the H-1B fee -- the
amount the employer must pay for every H-1B worker admitted -- from $500 to
$1,000 authorized through fiscal year 2003.

During the 108th Congress, there was a debate over whether or not to roll back
the previous changes to the H-1B visa program. The USA Jobs Protection Act of
2003 was introduced to help prevent unintended United States job losses by
amending the Immigration and Naturalization Act to give the Secretary of Labor
more authority to enforce program requirements.

During the current legislative session, Congress continues to strive to balance
the needs of US employers with the employment opportunities for US residents.
Proponents of the increases argued that H-1B workers are essential if the United
States is to remain globally competitive. Those opposing further increases –
temporary or permanent – maintain that there is no compelling evidence of a
labor shortage in these professional areas that cannot be met by newly
graduating students and by retraining the existing US work force. Although
there is no legislation related to H-1B visas pending before the Senate at this
time, please know that as Congress examines the H-1B visa program and other
immigration legislation during the 109th Congress, I will keep your thoughts in
mind.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate hearing from
you, and I encourage you to keep in touch.

Sincerely,
Patty Murray
United States Senator