Immigration Reform Clears Committee -- Bill hurts Labor/ American Tech Workers

[whathehell]

Sen. Orrin Hatch secures amendment helping tech firms win visa battle over unions. W. Post: “The compromise amendment lifts the requirement that companies first offer tech jobs to Americans for all firms except those that depend on foreigners for more than 15 percent of their workforce and relaxes the formula for determining the annual number of foreign high-tech workers.”

AFL-CIO’s Richard Trumka vows to fight tech visa change on Senate floor. The Hill quotes: “Hatch’s amendments change the bill so that high tech companies could functionally bring in H-1B visa holders without first making the jobs available to American workers. Hatch’s amendments would mean that American corporations could fire American workers in order to bring in H-1B visa holders at lower wages.”

No Republican filibuster planned. The Hill: “Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) on Tuesday said he would not try to block immigration reform from reaching the floor despite the opposition of some conservative leaders … While McConnell stopped short of pledging his support for the legislation, he praised the Gang of Eight’s work and said he is ‘hopeful’ of passing a comprehensive immigration fix through the Senate.”

But more Republican concessions eyed. Roll Call: “…though the deal worked to secure Hatch’s backing for the immigration framework in committee, he and other Republicans are demanding more concessions before they back a final bill on the Senate floor. ‘I am going to vote this bill out of committee because I’ve committed to do that once this amendment passes,’ Hatch told his colleagues … ‘But make no mistake about it, those other four amendments that are Finance Committee amendments, we are going to reserve them for the floor, but I’ve got to get those or we’ll never pass those bills.’”

[SoCalDem]

1. Republicans will push this through at warp speed

as we compromise every point, just to get it done.. then republicans will bash it as an unfortunate attempt at bipartisanship to their base..and they will do everything but wear a sombrero to try & con their "not-base Latino friends"..

the only losers will be everyone except republicans.. well they will lose the presidency again, but who needs that spot as long as they have the house and enough troublemakers in the senate to do more nothing.

[whathehell]

3. How right you are, and we can thank "democrats" like Chuck Schumer for this sell-out.

What kind of country -- in a recession, no less -- undercuts its citizens ability to "compete" for

jobs in their own country?

[ProSense]

2. How does this make sense?

Senate Judiciary Committee approves immigration reform on 13-5 vote

by Jed Lewison

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy
Immigration reform moves forward to the next phase:

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved a broad overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws on a bipartisan vote, sending the most significant immigration policy changes in decades to the full Senate, where the debate is expected to begin next month.

The bipartisan vote came after committee chairman Pat Leahy dropped his push for an amendment that would have offered protection for same-sex couples. Sen. Orrin Hatch added his support after forging an agreement to allow companies to hire more non-American workers by raising the minimum number of H-1B visas and lowering their burden to show that they tried to hire an American before looking overseas.
Notably, Hatch's support was limited to the committee vote:

By late afternoon on Tuesday, Mr. Hatch had said that he would support the bill out of committee, if not necessarily on the Senate floor, after the committee agreed, via a voice vote, to pass his amendment.

“I’m going to vote this bill out of committee because I’ve committed to do that,” Mr. Hatch said.

That suggests that he hopes to introduce more changes to the legislation when floor debate begins next month. Still, committee senators sought his support, hoping that the overwhelming bipartisan vote would give the overall bill momentum as it heads to the full senate.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/22/1210881/-Senate-Judiciary-Committee-approves-immigration-reform-on-13-5-vote

If the bill passed 13-5, why the hell did they need Hatch's vote? Also, why did Leahy have to drop his amendment, but not Hatch?

[whathehell]

4. Excellent question

for which I have no answer.

Neither me, nor any of my family or friends are tech workers, but this disgusts and demoralizes me.