[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 50 (Tuesday, May 2, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S3896]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. Allen, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Lott, Mr. 
        Allard, and Mr. Bennett):
  S. 2691. A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to 
increase competitiveness in the United States, and for other purposes; 
to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill that will 
reform our immigration policies to make the United States more 
competitive, called the Securing Knowledge, Innovation, and Leadership, 
or ``SKIL'' bill. Other original cosponsors of this legislation include 
Senators Allard, Allen, Bennett, Enzi, and Lott.
  Our ability to innovate is crucial to the success of our economy. By 
investing in science and technology, we revolutionize our economy and 
improve the world. The President has responded to this need by 
proposing the American Competitiveness Initiative. And I am a proud co-
sponsor of legislation that has been introduced in the Senate: the 
Protecting America's Competitive Edge (PACE bills) and National 
Innovation Act.
  But there is still more that can be done. Immigration policy must be 
part of any discussion of competitiveness. The United States does not 
produce enough engineers--China graduates four times as many engineers 
as the U.S., and within a few years, approximately 90 percent of all 
scientists and engineers in the world will be in Asia. Foreign students 
fill that gap right now in the U.S., but then our immigration policy--
not our economy--forces them to return home because there are not 
enough highly skilled work visas.
  In the long run, we must improve our schools and encourage more U.S. 
students to study engineering and mathematics. But we also must adapt 
immigration policy so that when U.S. students are educated in 
engineering fields, there will be U.S. jobs for them to fill. With the 
SKIL bill, foreign students who graduate from U.S. institutions will be 
able to stay and work in the United States. The bill will allow 
companies to retain highly skilled and educated workers.
  The SKIL bill requires the government to change its processes so that 
companies do not waste valuable resources. If a worker has been in the 
U.S. and has complied with all immigration laws, he should be allowed 
to renew his visa here in the U.S. Why make that worker go to a 
consulate when all of the processing can be done here in the U.S.?
  The SKIL bill exempts from annual visa limit any foreign student 
graduating from a U.S. university with a Master's or PhD in essential 
fields. Foreign workers with extraordinary skills, such as a Nobel 
Prize winner or an international scholar--should not have to wait for a 
visa. The President has also called for an increase in H-1B visas.
  As Chair of the Immigration subcommittee, I have seen how 
immigration--both legal and illegal--affects all aspects of our lives. 
I am pleased that there is so much discussion about immigration and 
about improving avenues for workers to enter our country. But 
immigration today will shape the country that our children grow up in. 
And so there needs to be more discussion about the kinds of immigration 
that will most benefit our economy and our country.
  I am introducing the SKIL bill because I don't believe enough 
attention has been focused on legal immigrants, especially the highly 
skilled workers who contribute to our economy and comply with our laws. 
It is my hope that this legislation will allow U.S. companies to retain 
a highly educated workforce until we can channel more American students 
into the math, science, and engineer pipeline. The SKIL bill is yet 
another important piece of the U.S. competitiveness agenda, and I urge 
my colleagues to cosponsor this important legislation.
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