[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 155 (Wednesday, December 5, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7422-S7426]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 3553

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 
3553, the BRAINS Act, and the Senate proceed to its consideration; that 
the bill be read a third time and passed; and that the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or 
debate.
  I will be brief because I don't want to take away from my colleagues' 
time. What this bill does is provide more STEM visas than the previous 
bill. It provides an entrepreneurship visa which the other bill does 
not. It does not take away existing visas, which the Senator from Texas 
doesn't like, but many other people find popular, good, and necessary. 
The unemployment rate for those on the diversity visas coming in is 
much lower than that of the national average.
  If we want to pass a pure STEM bill without extraneous provisions 
added by people who are anti-immigration because they don't want to see 
any net increase in immigration, I urge the support of our bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Texas.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, the problem 
with the Senator's proposal is that this piece of legislation he has 
referred to has not passed out of committee in the Senate. It has not 
passed the House. This bill, the STEM Act, has passed the House. Theirs 
has a 2-year sunset provision; this is permanent legislation. Also, it 
has no family unification provision that will allow the immediate 
family members of the green card holder to wait the time when they will 
become eligible for a green card in the United States as opposed to 
back in their country of origin, and it does nothing to promote merit-
based immigration reform. We ought to be looking at immigration reform 
from the standpoint of not just how it can help the immigrant but how 
it can help America create jobs and entrepreneurship.
  For those reasons, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, at this time I yield to the distinguished 
Senator from North Dakota and then, following that, the distinguished 
Senator from Iowa for any comments he cares to make.
  Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I thank the esteemed Senator from Texas 
and the Senator from Kentucky. I see the Senator from Iowa has joined 
us as well.
  I rise to speak in support of the STEM Act but also to respond to the 
Senator from New York. I see the Senator has left, but I also want to 
respond to some of the points in support of the Senator from Texas.
  The STEM Act passed the House; it was H. Res. 6429, sponsored by 
Congressman Lamar Smith. I argue that it accomplishes both of the 
things we are talking about today. It provides us with the opportunity 
to have a greater pool of employees with training in science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics, which is what we need in this 
country. It also accomplishes the diversity that was referred to by the 
Senator from New York.
  So what the Senators from Texas, Kentucky, Iowa, and myself are 
proposing is to accomplish both goals. We are saying we can have the 
students who have graduated with either a doctorate degree or a 
master's degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, 
which is what we very much need to get our economy growing. A growing 
economy creates more employment. It also creates the revenue without 
raising taxes that we need to address our deficit and debt. So this 
legislation accomplishes both those goals and still provides an 
increase in diversity which is what the Senator from New York was 
talking about.
  The additional point is the point that the Senator from Texas very 
clearly made. This legislation passed the House. The last time I 
checked, legislation has to pass the Senate and the House. That is a 
pretty important distinction.
  Referring back to the comments of the Senator from Kentucky, who said 
if we cannot do it all at once because of disagreements, let's start 
getting done what we can get done, here is a bill that provides us with 
people in the science and technology fields who can help our economy 
grow. These are people we need very much. It will increase diversity, 
just as the Senator from New York said, and it has passed the House. 
Common sense says let's go. Let's pass the bill.
  So we want to join with the Senator from New York, the Senator from 
Delaware, and the other sponsors to whom he referred, but let's join on 
something we can actually get done, meaning a bill that passes the 
House as well as the Senate. I think that logic is compelling.
  I look at my own State of North Dakota. We are doing amazing things 
in energy. As a matter of fact, we are hot on the trail of the State of 
Texas when it comes to oil development. I am telling you, we are after 
you.
  So what is that going to take? It is going to take continued 
development of the technologies that not only helps us produce more 
energy, but helps us do it with good environmental stewardship. What we 
are talking about is when we have the engineers, scientists, 
technicians, and mathematicians who graduate from our great 
universities with doctorate and master's degrees, they can stay and 
help us here rather than help someone else in some other country that 
would then get ahead of the United States. This will help us solve the 
fundamental challenges we face today, which is getting this economy 
growing so we get people back to work and creating the revenue the 
right way with economic growth to help us address our deficit and debt.
  With that, I yield the floor to the esteemed Senator from Texas.
  Mr. CORNYN. How much time remains?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Twenty minutes.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I yield to the distinguished Senator from 
Iowa for any comments he cares to make.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, today, I'm proud to speak in support of 
the STEM Jobs Act of 2012, a bill passed by the House of 
Representatives last week. This bill would make available up to 55,000 
green cards each year for foreign students who have received doctorates 
or master's degrees in science, technology, engineering, or math, also 
known as STEM, from a U.S. university. The bill would not increase 
overall immigration levels, but rather, would move our immigration

[[Page S7423]]

system toward one in which we reward the best and brightest of the 
world with the chance to remain, live, and work in this country.
  Without a doubt, our immigration system is flawed. I have long argued 
that we need to enhance and expand legal avenues for U.S. employers to 
hire foreign workers. While I am a champion for rooting out fraud and 
abuse from many of our visa programs, I'm also supportive of finding 
ways to allow people to enter this country through legal channels.
  It makes sense to allow foreign students who have been trained and 
educated on U.S. soil to remain here. These students have advanced 
degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math, and this bill 
will ensure that we keep those highly skilled and sought-after students 
here for employers in need.
  Our economy cannot wait. We need to enact solutions today that create 
economic growth.
  We also have no reason to wait for next year's likely debate on 
immigration. Attracting and retaining high-skilled workers should not 
be a partisan issue. The senior Senator from New York has a similar 
proposal to grant green cards to STEM students. I can only assume that 
many people on the other side of the aisle would support this bill if 
the majority leader gave it a chance. Nearly 30 Democrats in the House 
crossed the aisle to help this bill pass last week.
  Finally, as we look ahead to immigration reform, it will be important 
to consider ways our policies benefit future generations, not just 
solve the problems of the day. Our immigration system should be 
structured in a way to recruit people with skills in STEM fields. This 
bill is a good first step to changing our system to a merit-based one. 
Enhancing our legal immigration channels should be a top priority, and 
I am committed to working on ways to do that for all sectors of the 
economy.
   I hope the majority will reconsider, and allow the Senate to call up 
and pass the STEM Jobs Act and send it to the President. It would be a 
signal to the American people that we can work together to enact needed 
immigration reforms.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I appreciate the remarks of the 
distinguished Senators from Iowa, North Dakota, and Kentucky.
  I think what people find so maddening about Congress and Washington, 
DC, is even when we agree, we still cannot seem to get anything done. 
How is it that we can agree on the importance of additional STEM green 
cards and still not be able to get anything done? This is not about 
what is perfect, but this is about what is possible given what has 
happened in the House of Representatives.
  We could do this today and send it to the President of the United 
States in the next couple of days so he can sign it. The question is, 
How many more years will pass while we have these highly qualified 
students who graduate from our own colleges and universities with 
master's degrees and Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering, and 
math before we finally address the problem?
  I realize there is other legislation people would like to have 
considered, but this has actually passed the House of Representatives.
  I remember the hearing we had in the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on 
Immigration of which I am the ranking member. The Senator from New York 
said at that time--and this would not be a surprise to him since these 
are his own words, and it is consistent with what he said on the Senate 
floor:

       If we do not enact an immigration policy that continues to 
     attract the world's best minds, we will cease to be the 
     world's economic leader.

  That is why I call this a self-inflicted wound. If we agree that 
American workers should get the right of first refusal, but there are 
not sufficient American workers with the qualifications in these 
important fields, why in the world would we not allow the creation of 
jobs and new enterprises that would come with the STEM Jobs Act that 
has passed the House?
  I have a series of letters: one from the chancellor of the University 
of Texas System, Texas A&M University System, Texas Tech University 
System, the University of Houston System, the University of North 
Texas, and the Texas State University System in support of STEM 
legislation. I also have a letter from Rice University president David 
Leebron supporting this same type of legislation.
  I have a letter dated June 25, 2012, addressed to President Obama, 
Leader Reid, Leader McConnell, Speaker Boehner and then-Leader Pelosi 
from the Partnership for a New American Economy signed by the 
presidents or chancellors of 42 public and private universities. I have 
a letter to Congress from the Information Technology Industry Council, 
Partnership for a New American Economy, and the U.S. Chamber of 
Commerce supporting STEM immigration reform such as this bill.
  I have another letter dated November 15, 2012, to Members of Congress 
from the American Council on International Personnel and the Society 
for Human Resource Management supporting this type of STEM legislation. 
I have another letter dated September 19, 2012, to Speaker Boehner, 
Leader Cantor, Whip McCarthy, Minority Leader Pelosi, and Minority Whip 
Hoyer from CONNECT, a U.S. San Diego tech transfer commercialization 
enterprise.
  I also have a letter from the president of Baylor University in 
support of STEM legislation.
  I ask unanimous consent that the letters I just referenced be printed 
in the Record at this time.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                 December 4, 2012.


  Statement on Visas for STEM Graduates from Texas Public University 
                           System Chancellors

       As chancellors of the six Texas public university systems, 
     we recognize the important role the fields of science, 
     technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) play in 
     American competitiveness.
       We understand Senator John Cornyn plans to pursue 
     legislation during the remaining days of the 112th Congress 
     aimed at providing more visas for foreign graduates of 
     American universities in the STEM fields. Industry and 
     academia, particularly in Texas, face critical shortages in 
     the availability of qualified job applicants in these fields. 
     While we are actively engaged--through education outreach and 
     engineering extension--in preparing Texas residents for 
     success in the STEM fields, we recognize the need to address 
     existing shortages in these critical fields through a pathway 
     for international students already enrolled at our 
     institutions in these disciplines.
       The severity of this situation was highlighted in the 
     recently published National Research Council report, Ten 
     Breakthrough Actions Vital to Our Nation's Prosperity and 
     Security. The report focuses on the role research 
     universities play in protecting the future of America and 
     recommends actions that should be taken separately and 
     jointly by universities, states, and the federal government. 
     The report specifically calls on the federal government to 
     streamline the processes that impact the ability of 
     international innovators to remain in our country and 
     contribute to its prosperity.
       We applaud Senator Cornyn for his leadership and focus on 
     this issue. We urge Congress to work toward a bipartisan 
     solution to this important component of job growth and our 
     nation's innovation agenda.
     Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D.,
       Chancellor, The University of Texas System.
     Mr. John Sharp,
       Chancellor, Texas A&M University System.
     Mr. Lee Jackson,
       Chancellor, University of North Texas System University 
     System.
     Mr. Kent Hance,
       Chancellor, Texas Tech University.
     Dr. Renu Khator,
       Chancellor, University of Houston.
     Dr. Brian McCall,
       Chancellor, Texas State.
                                  ____



                                              Rice University,

                                    Houston, TX, December 4, 2012.
     Hon. John Cornyn,
     U.S. Senate, Hart Senate Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Cornyn, I write on behalf of Rice University 
     to support the STAR Act and all efforts to make it easier for 
     foreign students who receive advanced degrees in the STEM 
     fields to remain in the United States and put their 
     educations and skills to work on behalf of the country. These 
     students are among the best and brightest in the world and, 
     equipped with a Rice University or other U.S. education, will 
     have much to contribute to business and job creation and 
     economic growth.

[[Page S7424]]

       Rice University is proud to be based in Houston, Texas, and 
     to educate leaders and generate research and knowledge that 
     contribute in major ways to the vigor of our state and 
     country. We are equally proud to have more than 10 percent of 
     our undergraduate students and about 40 percent of our 
     graduate students from other countries. The fact that we can 
     attract the best and the brightest from throughout the world 
     is a significant strength, but to lose those students after 
     graduation because of overly restrictive immigration policies 
     is a distinct weakness for our state and country. We should 
     not send that education and talent away.
       There is a case to be made for comprehensive immigration 
     reform, but the STAR Act makes significant progress towards 
     that goal. We would be happy to contribute our faculty 
     expertise if you would find that helpful. Thank you for your 
     leadership on this issue.
           Sincerely,
                                                 David W. Leebron,
     President.
                                  ____

                                             Partnership for a New


                                             American Economy,

                                                    June 25, 2012.
     President Barack Obama,
     The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.,
     Washington, DC.
     Sen. Harry Reid,
     Senate Majority Leader, Hart Senate Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. John Boehner,
     Speaker of the House, U.S. Capitol,
     Washington, DC.
     Sen. Mitch McConnell,
     Senate Republican Leader, Russell Senate Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
     Democratic Leader, U.S. Capitol,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President, Majority Leader Reid, Republican Leader 
     McConnell, Speaker Boehner, and Democratic Leader Pelosi: As 
     leaders of universities educating the creators of tomorrow's 
     scientific breakthroughs, we call on you to address a 
     critical threat to America's preeminence as a global center 
     of innovation and prosperity: our inability under current 
     United States immigration policy to retain and benefit from 
     many of the top minds educated at our universities.
       From the industrial revolution to today's information age, 
     the United States has led the world in creating the 
     inventions and ideas that drive economic prosperity. 
     America's universities are responsible for 36 percent of all 
     research in the country, including 53 percent of all basic 
     research, and they help keep America at the forefront of the 
     21st century economy. The Federal Government has recognized 
     the importance of university research by providing roughly 60 
     percent of all academic R&D funding.
       American academic research has benefited from the fact that 
     the US remains a top magnet for the world's best and 
     brightest students and graduates 16 percent of all PhDs 
     worldwide in scientific and technical fields. In 2009, 
     students on temporary visas were 45 percent of all graduate 
     students in engineering, math, computer science and physical 
     sciences--earning 43 percent of all master's degrees and 52 
     percent of all PhDs. New research shows that in 2011, 
     foreign-born inventors were credited contributors on more 
     than 75 percent of patents issued to the top 10 patent-
     producing universities in the United States--irrefutable 
     proof of the important role immigrants play in American 
     innovation. These inventions lead to new companies and new 
     jobs for American workers, and are an enormous boon to our 
     economy.
       But after we have trained and educated these future job 
     creators, our antiquated immigration laws turn them away to 
     work for our competitors in other countries. Low limits on 
     visas leave immigrants with no way to stay or facing 
     untenable delays for a permanent visa. Top engineers from 
     India and China face wait times of up to 9 years to get a 
     permanent visa, and new applicants from these countries may 
     face considerably longer waits. And while we turn away these 
     American-educated, trained and funded scientists and 
     engineers, there is a growing skill gap across America's 
     industries. One quarter of US science and engineering firms 
     already report difficulty hiring, and the problem will only 
     worsen: the US is projected to face a shortfall of 230,000 
     qualified advanced-degree workers in scientific and technical 
     fields by 2018.
       The US cannot afford to wait to fix our immigration system. 
     Even as we send away highly skilled workers trained at 
     American universities, competing economies are welcoming 
     these scientists and engineers with streamlined visa 
     applications and creating dedicated visas to ensure that the 
     foreign students who graduate from their own universities can 
     stay and contribute to the local economy. We ask you to work 
     together to develop a bipartisan solution that ensures our 
     top international graduates have a clear path to a green 
     card, so they can stay and create new American jobs. Recent 
     polls show that there is broad, bipartisan support for this 
     reform, and that the American people want our leaders in 
     Washington to act. Now is the time to do so and ensure that 
     the US remains the world's leading home for innovators.
           Sincerely,
     (77 Signatures).
                                  ____

                                                 December 4, 2012.
       To the Members of the United States Congress: The 
     Information Technology Industry Council, the Partnership for 
     a New American Economy, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce 
     recently joined together to prepare a new report, released 
     last week, ``Help Wanted: The Role of Foreign Workers in the 
     Innovation Economy''. According to the report, foreign-born 
     professionals in the fields of Science, Technology, 
     Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are complementing--not 
     displacing--their U.S. counterparts and the U.S. economy is 
     in need of more STEM talent.
       As Congress deliberates initiatives to reform our 
     immigration system--including expanding visas for those with 
     advanced STEM degrees earned at U.S. universities--the report 
     provides evidence of critical labor force needs in America's 
     innovation economy.
       There is universal agreement that reforming U.S. education 
     and job training to encourage more U.S. students to enter 
     STEM occupations is essential to a strong economy. Yet these 
     fixes will take years to yield results, and many of the 
     talented STEM workers who could fill the gaps in our labor 
     force are already here training in American universities. 
     Reforming American immigration laws to allow foreign-born 
     STEM students who earn advanced degrees from U.S. 
     universities to stay and work in jobs where there are no 
     available qualified American workers will fill an immediate 
     need and promote economic growth and job creation.
       Our report analyzes data from the U.S. Census and the U.S. 
     Department of Education Integrated Post-Secondary Education 
     Data System (WEDS) to examine employment in the STEM fields. 
     The report confirms that:
       There is full employment for U.S. STEM workers with 
     advanced degrees: While the current national unemployment 
     rate hovers around 8 percent, the unemployment rate for 
     United States citizens with PhDs in STEM fields is just 3.15 
     percent, and 3.4 percent for those with master's degrees in 
     STEM fields. Given that the U.S. government has defined 
     ``full-employment'' to be 4 percent, this suggests a skills 
     shortage of STEM professionals with advanced degrees.
       In many STEM occupations, unemployment is virtually non-
     existent: Unemployment is particularly low in STEM 
     occupations such as Petroleum Engineers (0.1 percent), 
     Computer Network Architects (0.4 percent), Nuclear Engineers 
     (0.5 percent), Environmental Scientists and Geoscientists 
     (1.2 percent), Database Administrators (1.3 percent), 
     Statisticians (1.6 percent), Engineering Managers (1.6 
     percent), and Aerospace Engineers (1.9 percent).
       STEM fields employ a far higher proportion of foreign 
     workers than non-STEM fields: In STEM fields, 26.1 percent of 
     workers with PhDs are foreign born, as are 17.7 percent of 
     workers with master's degrees. In comparison, in non-STEM 
     fields, just 6.4 percent of doctoral workers and 5.2 percent 
     of master's workers are foreign born.
       STEM fields with high percentages of foreign STEM workers 
     have low unemployment rates for US workers: Although nearly 
     25 percent of medical scientists are foreign born, United 
     States medical scientists enjoy an unemployment rate of just 
     3.4 percent, fully five percentage points lower than the non-
     STEM unemployment rate (8.4 percent). Similar stories exist 
     for STEM occupations such as physical scientists and computer 
     software designers, where immigrants make up more than 20 
     percent of the field and unemployment is just 4 percent. 
     Unemployment across all STEM occupations is just 4.3 percent, 
     and the unemployment rate is even lower in 10 of the 11 STEM 
     occupations with the largest proportion of foreign workers.
       Foreign-born STEM workers are paid on par with US STEM 
     workers: There is no verifiable evidence that foreign-born 
     STEM workers adversely affect the wages of American workers 
     by providing a less expensive source of labor. The average 
     STEM worker actually makes slightly more than his or her 
     United States counterpart, earning on average $61 more per 
     week.
       These findings reaffirm a December 2011 report, 
     ``Immigration and American Jobs,'' released by the American 
     Enterprise Institute and the Partnership for a New American 
     Economy, which found that every foreign graduate with an 
     advanced degree from a U.S. university who stays and works in 
     a STEM field, creates an average of 2.62 new jobs for 
     American workers.
       We are committed to reforming our immigration system in 
     ways that advance U.S. competitiveness, innovation, and job 
     creation, and look forward to working with you to achieve 
     this important goal.
           Sincerely,
         Information Technology Industry Council,
         Partnership for a New American Economy,
         U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
                                  ____

         American Council on International Personnel and Society 
           for Human Resource Management
                                                November 15, 2012.
       Dear Member of Congress: As you consider measures in the 
     lame-duck congressional session to restore America's fiscal 
     health and put our economy back on track, the American 
     Council on International Personnel (ACIP) and the Society for 
     Human Resource Management (SHRM) urge you to act on a key 
     high-skilled legal immigration reform that has bipartisan 
     support and the

[[Page S7425]]

     backing of the U.S. business community, and that will help 
     jumpstart U.S. growth and job creation: making green cards 
     available for foreign-born holders of U.S. STEM advanced 
     degrees who have a job offer.
       Highly educated, foreign-born professionals have a long 
     history of making great contributions to our economy, and 
     this legislation will help U.S. employers to more easily 
     recruit, hire and retain these job creators and innovators. 
     The visas would be immediately available to these 
     professionals, helping them avoid the decades-long green card 
     backlog that currently plagues top talent trying to 
     contribute to our country. This legislation will help 
     reenergize America's competitiveness at an extremely critical 
     time.
       Our organizations, now strategic affiliates, represent 
     thousands of employers across the country working hard to 
     grow America's economy. While there is much to be done in the 
     next session, this small step now will pay big dividends in 
     keeping our economy on the right track until more 
     comprehensive reforms can be enacted.
       We encourage Congress to start building the necessary 
     consensus needed for future immigration legislation by 
     sending this bipartisan reform to the president for enactment 
     before year's end.
           Sincerely,
     Lynn Shotwell,
       Executive Director, ACIP.
     Michael P. Aitken,
       Vice President, Government Affairs, SHRM.
                                  ____



                                                      Connect,

                                               September 19, 2012.
     Speaker John Boehner,
     Majority Leader Eric Cantor,
     Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy,
     Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi,
     Minority Whip Steny Hoyer,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives, As a 
     leading voice for tech start-up and emerging companies, 
     CONNECT applauds you for your efforts to address a critical 
     innovation policy issue by bringing to a vote the STEM Jobs 
     Act of 2012, H.R. 6429. This important legislation will spark 
     innovation across the U.S. and assist start-up company 
     growth, which remains America's best job-creating engine.
       CONNECT was birthed out of the University of California--
     San Diego over twenty-five years ago with the mission to 
     propel creative ideas and emerging technologies to the 
     marketplace by training entrepreneurs and connecting them to 
     the comprehensive resources they need to sustain viability 
     and business vibrancy. Since 1985, CONNECT has assisted in 
     the formation and development of over 3,000 companies and is 
     recognized as one of the world's most successful regional 
     innovation development programs. In 2010, CONNECT won the 
     Innovation in Economic Development Award in the Regional 
     Innovation Clusters category presented by the U.S. Department 
     of Commerce's Economic Development Administration.
       Although much of the discussion regarding STEM visa reform 
     centers around the benefits that will accrue to larger 
     companies in the tech sector, it should not be overlooked 
     that a STEM visa reform proposal like H.R. 6429 will 
     facilitate new STEM grads to also be hired by startup and 
     emerging companies. As both the Small Business Administration 
     and the Kauffman Foundation have confirmed, the vast majority 
     of America's net job growth in recent years has come from 
     startup and emerging companies. Allowing foreign-born STEM 
     graduates to stay in the U.S. to work in startup and emerging 
     companies will help keep America at the edge of the frontier 
     of global competitiveness. However, that edge is being 
     aggressively trimmed by our foreign competitors. Thus, it is 
     imperative we retain U.S.-educated, foreign-born STEM talent 
     instead of forcing them to find jobs overseas with global 
     competitors.
       There is much talk in Washington about helping start-up 
     businesses, but the STEM Jobs Act takes tangible action 
     toward achieving that goal. We commend you for advancing this 
     solution that will have real-world benefits for America's 
     entrepreneurs and innovators.
       In CONNECT's ``Innovation Agenda for the 112th Congress'' 
     and ``Seven Innovation Policy Ideas to Spark an American 
     Recovery,'' we endorsed STEM visa reform. Continuing that 
     long-term commitment in support of the issue, we encourage 
     the House to pass the bill and we stand ready to assist the 
     Senate in its consideration of H.R. 6429.
           Sincerely,
                                    Timothy Tardibono, M.A., J.D.,
     Vice President of Public Policy, CONNECT.
                                  ____



                                            Baylor University,

                                       Waco, TX, December 5, 2012.
     Senator John Cornyn,
     Hart Senate Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Cornyn: Since 1845, Baylor University has 
     promoted academic excellence and Christian service, and its 
     achievements have been recognized around the world. As a 
     nationally ranked research institution, Baylor is also 
     dedicated to scientific discovery and training the inventors 
     and entrepreneurs who will create the jobs of the future. We 
     now have more than 70 masters and doctoral degree programs, 
     including eleven science, technology, engineering, and math 
     (STEM) programs. Of the Masters and PhD students enrolled in 
     our STEM programs, 13 percent are foreign nationals. Many of 
     these students are listed as co-inventors in patent 
     applications filed by Baylor research teams.
       Unfortunately, our innovation efforts are being undermined 
     by U.S. immigration laws. Many of our STEM Masters and PhD 
     students may not be able to obtain an appropriate work visa 
     in industry because of the low cap on the number of such new 
     visas that can be issued. They would have to return to their 
     home country after graduation or obtain a visa in an 
     occupation that is unrelated to their education. The House-
     passed STEM Jobs Act would create 55,000 additional visas for 
     foreign nationals with an advanced STEM degree from a U.S. 
     research institution. It represents an important step in 
     fixing America's broken immigration system.
       I encourage the Senate to pass this legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                            Kenneth Winston Starr.

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I think the record should be clear that 
our side of the aisle believes we should act today and not wait and not 
delay further this important STEM Jobs Act for the very reason I said 
earlier, which is that it will help job creators and entrepreneurs.
  The reason STEM visas are particularly powerful is because these 
individuals with special expertise in math, technology, engineering, 
and the like are uniquely qualified to be able to start up new 
enterprises and to attract and create jobs for other people. In other 
words, there is a multiplier effect. For every 1 of the 55,000 green 
cards that would be created by this act, there are hundreds of 
thousands of people who would enjoy jobs as a result of the economic 
activity in this country.
  I hope we don't sacrifice another crop of science, technology, and 
engineering graduates in the hope that we can get the perfect 
immigration bill. In fact, we know this is a difficult area in which to 
legislate, and both sides of the aisle know we need to deal with all of 
the different facets of our broken immigration system. But this bill 
has passed the House. It is here and now. We could pass it today by 
unanimous consent but for the objection of our friends across the aisle 
and the objection, amazingly enough, of the President of the United 
States who himself has claimed for at least the last 4 years that he is 
in favor of immigration reform.
  It is also an important confidence builder in terms of the acceptance 
of this legislation by the American people. The American people are 
justifiably skeptical of Congress passing another omnibus or 
comprehensive piece of legislation. We tried that before, and we found 
out that even if people have read bills going into the thousands of 
pages in length, many times there are unintended consequences.
  So I believe it is very important that we start with this important 
STEM Jobs Act, that we demonstrate we are worthy of the confidence and 
trust of the American people when it comes to addressing our broken 
immigration system, in an area where we have consensus such as the STEM 
jobs field. I tell my colleagues they have my personal commitment that 
I will be there to work with them to deal with other parts of our 
broken immigration system as we go forward.
  The best way to do that, in my opinion, is to start here. If we can't 
pass this legislation--and I am skeptical based upon the objection we 
have heard today--I wonder if we will ever be able to pass immigration 
reform. If we can't do this consensus bill, tell me one other piece of 
legislation we could pass in this field by agreement of the political 
parties and send it on to the President. Indeed, I think there is room 
to wonder whether some people in this Chamber would prefer to have this 
an issue they can wield in the next election rather than to join 
together on a bipartisan basis and to solve what is broken in our 
immigration system.
  Let's start here. Let's build on this. We can do it today if we can 
just somehow avoid the objections and pass this legislation that has 
been passed by the House. It passes the STEM visa bill, it keeps 
families together, and it represents values I would think both sides of 
the aisle would applaud.
  With that, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

[[Page S7426]]

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Udall of New Mexico). Without objection, 
it is so ordered.

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