Speech #1100174752

Madam Speaker. I rise today to raise awareness of an increasing problem with H2B Visa abuse in my hometown of Houston and elsewhere. Fraudulent recruiters are increasingly bringing in foreign workers for temporary. low skill positions by claming there is a labor shortage for this type of work. These recruiters frequently advertise positions with wages below what they should be paid. and when there are no responses the employers claim there is a labor shortage and bring in foreign workers to do that work. The Immigration and Nationality Act requires that the hiring of foreign workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of U.S. workers working In the occupation in the area of intended employment. However. these regulations are not being strictly enforced. The Department of Labor has proposed new procedures based on its contention that its workload. and the workload of State workforce agencies. has greatly increased in recent years due to the H2B visa program and that an adequate rise in funding to meet that increased workload has not occurred. The proposed changes would cover many aspects of the H2B visa application process. including the moving of filing of State workforce agencies to the National Processing Centers. New requirements for employers to report on the status of their H2B employees should be enforced. I am extremely concerned about these changes. because current regulations are not being strictly enforced at the national level. or at the State workforce agency level and moving filings to the national processing center along with these other changes will not improve enforcement. This lack of enforcement is driving down wages. and preventing individuals from gaining experience necessary to move into higher paying jobs. Congress needs to act and should require recruiters to be certified or licensed to prevent temporary workers and their U.S. employers from being misled about the nature of their visas being defrauded or victimized by outrageous fees. This would allow oversight of the recruiting process which is a muchneeded addition to the program. Madam Speaker.