Grassley, Feinstein: Process to Change H-2B Program Lacked Transparency
WASHINGTON – Senate
Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein
today made the following statement regarding a provision in a government
funding resolution that allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant more
seasonal work visas than the law allows.
“The Constitution clearly provides that Congress shall determine the nation’s immigration policy, and the Senate places such policy squarely in the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee. This move by leadership and appropriators cedes portions of this authority to the Executive Branch without a public debate by the committee of jurisdiction for the policy.
“We understand the needs of employers who rely on seasonal H-2B workers if the American workforce can’t meet the demand, but we are also aware of the potential side effects of flooding the labor force with more temporary foreign workers, including depressed wages for all workers in seasonal jobs. The bottom line is that this issue deserves more thoughtful consideration. Appropriators should remove this provision and give the Judiciary Committee time to properly consider and debate this change to our nation’s immigration laws.”
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