Senate Rejects Most Changes to Immigration Bill
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Architects of the legislation said they hoped they would gain support for a motion to end debate on the legislation.
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Companies that lay off workers would be barred from using H-1B visas under an amendment to the Senate immigration reform bill proposed by two U.S. senators.
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Supporters of the immigration overhaul package, which failed to come up for a vote in the Senate last week, will try to resurrect the legislation.
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A White House-backed bill revamping U.S. immigration laws stalled in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, handing President George W. Bush a major legislative setback.
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A sharply divided Senate on Thursday threw into doubt the fate of the plan backed by President George W. Bush to revamp U.S. immigration laws.
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While some advocates of the Senate immigration plan back it, those who remember an earlier government guest worker plan are skeptical
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(InfoWorld) - Two IT trade groups, as well as Microsoft, expressed disappointment after the U.S. Senate failed to move ahead with a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would include a higher annual cap on visas for highly skilled workers. In a vote Thursday, the Senate failed to cut off debate on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act and move the bill forward for a vote. The bill, which critics say provides amnesty to illegal aliens living in the United States, also would have expanded exemptions to the cap on the controversial H-1B visa program, a move supported by many tech vendors. The bill would increase the annual H-1B cap from 65,000 to 115,000 and exempt all foreign students who have earned a master's degree or higher from a U.S. university from the annual cap. Right now, there's a 20,000 annual limit on exemptions for students with master's degree and higher. The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), a trade group, called on the U.S. Congress to move ahead with legislation addressing only high-skilled visas, including H-1Bs and EB "green card" visas, not other immigration issues. The ITAA was "tremendously disappointed" by the Senate's failure to move the bill forward, ITAA president and CEO Phil Bond said in a statement. "Our own immigration system is restricting America's ability to compete, to grow, and to prosper," Bond said. "Congress must find a way to remove this chokehold." The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) said it was "profoundly disappointed" in the Senate's action. Without the immigration bill, the U.S. "high-tech industry will be challenged to find the skilled workers it needs and therefore put at a significant disadvantage to its global competitors," SIIA President Ken Wasch said in a statement. CompaniesÂ such asÂ Microsoft will be hurt by the failure to pass the bill, said Pamela Passman, the company's vice president for global corporate affairs. Comprehensive immigration reform is "desperately needed," she said in a statement. U.S.-based tech worker groups such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA (IEEE-USA) have opposed a higher H-1B cap, arguing that companies use the program to hire foreign workers for less money than unemployed U.S. workers would receive. This month, a video surfaced on the Internet showingÂ lawyers talking about how to cheat the skilled-worker visa system.
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The 50-45 roll call Thursday by which the Senate voted against cutting off debate on an immigration compromise bill and advancing the bill. Sixty votes were needed for approval of the motion.
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The Senate pressed ahead Tuesday with a $106 billion transportation and housing bill rejecting President Bush's proposed cuts to Amtrak, housing programs and community development projects.
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Doubt grew Tuesday over the fate of a crucial US Senate bill which grants a path to citizenship for around 12 million illegal immigrants, as partisan sniping broke out over the timing of votes.
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A tenuous compromise to overhaul the nation's immigration laws collapsed tonight when senators from both parties refused to cut off debate and move to a final vote, handing the unlikely alliance of Democratic leaders and President Bush a setback on a major domestic priority.
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A White House-backed bill to revamp immigration laws stalled in the Senate on Thursday, handing President George W. Bush a major legislative setback.
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Key vote expected Friday, but many senators are barred from adding amendments.
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RICHMOND, Feb. 16 -- The Virginia Senate has rejected efforts by House Republicans to crack down on illegal immigration and limit abortions, exposing a widening gap within the GOP over how far the party should go in addressing controversial issues.
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The Senate resurrected the immigration bill that could legalize millions of unlawful immigrants Tuesday, but the delicate compromise faces the same threats that derailed it earlier this month.
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The 53-38 roll call Monday by which the Senate voted against considering a no-confidence vote on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Sixty votes were needed to bring up the resolution.
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The Senate's revived legislation to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants faces a critical test Thursday after surviving potentially fatal challenges