That means that for the next four months. until the end of the fiscal year. employers who cannot find American workers to perform certain specialty jobs. including computer programming. engineering. and other hightechnology positions. will not have that work performed until the 1999 fiscal year begins. this October 1. For anyone who has ever run a business and experienced worker shortages. they know that not being allowed to hire necessary personnel can be devastating. I support an increase in the cap for this year. I also support a short term increase. for five years. in the number of aliens granted HiB visas. With the increasing number of hightechnology jobs. including positions related to the Year 2000 problem. and. until this year. a decreasing number of students studying in hightechoriented majors. employers will be challenged in the near term to find enough qualified workers. Having said this. however.