Speech #1050192228

I am urging my colleagues to vote for the WattBermanKlink substitute. Some of the most important changes in the Watt Berman legislation require employers to attest that they have not laid off or otherwise displaced a U.S. worker who has substantially equivalent qualifications. and that they will only place the foreign worker with another employer who has also attested to this. In addition. the WattBerman substitute will provide $500 for a training fee on each H1B visa applied for to train and retrain American workers. This legislation will also provide for a more accurate count of foreign workers and GAO studies of the high technology labor market. I believe that the growing workforce of our country and the strength and growth of the high tech industry in particular can be met most effectively by fully developing the skills of our own U.S. workers. In fact. the hidden blessing in the current high demand market for certain technical specialties is that it should encourage us to retrain displaced workers. attract underrepresented women and minorities. better educate our young people and recommission willing and able older workers who have been forced out of their work. Increased immigration should it be allowed. should be considered a complement to our industries. not a substitute for U.S. workers.