[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 103 (Wednesday, July 11, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S4889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       LIFTING HOLD ON H.R. 3012

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, today I lift my hold on H.R. 3012, the 
Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act. This bill would eliminate the 
per-country numerical limitations for employment based immigrants and 
change the per-country numerical limitations for family-based 
immigrants. When I placed a hold on the bill, I was concerned that the 
bill did nothing to better protect Americans at home who seek high-
skilled jobs during this time of record unemployment. Today, I lift my 
hold because I have reached an agreement with the senior Senator from 
New York, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on 
Immigration, Refugees and Border Security.
  I have spent a lot of time and effort into rooting out fraud and 
abuse in our visa programs, specifically the H-1B visa program. I have 
always said this program can and should serve as a benefit to our 
country, our economy and our U.S. employers. However, it is clear that 
it is not working as intended, and the program is having a detrimental 
effect on American workers.
  For many years, Senator Durbin and I have worked on legislation to 
close the loopholes in the H-1B visa program. Our legislation would 
ensure that American workers are afforded the first chance to obtain 
the available high paying and high skilled jobs in the United States. 
It would make sure visa holders know their rights. It would strengthen 
the wage requirements, ridding the incentives for companies to hire 
cheap, foreign labor.
  While I could not get everything that was included in the Durbin-
Grassley visa reform bill, there is agreement to include in H.R. 3012 
provisions that give greater authority to program overseers to 
investigate visa fraud and abuse. Specifically, there will be language 
authorizing the Department of Labor to better review labor condition 
applications and investigate fraud and misrepresentation by employers. 
There is also agreement to include a provision allowing the Federal 
Government to do annual compliance audits of employers who bring in 
foreign workers through the H-1B visa program.
  I appreciate the willingness of other members to work with me to 
include measures that will help us combat visa fraud, and ultimately 
protect more American workers. I look forward to working with others as 
H.R. 3012 progresses in the Senate.

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