[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2856-2857]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                               H-1B VISAS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise also to talk about the 
H-1B visa issue. I think it is of critical importance that we expand 
those visas. But that is only part of the solution to that problem.
  The bill we introduced this morning that the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Doggett) referenced has a package of ideas that I think will help 
deal with the larger issue, which is basically filling the high-tech 
jobs that we have a crushing need for in this country.
  If we talk to any tech business, they will tell us their number one 
biggest concern is finding the people to do the work that they have to 
be done. We have to understand that the technology sector of our 
technology is the faster growing sector out there. It is generating 
jobs and generating a strong economy. If we can find the scientists and 
the engineers and the biologists to fill these jobs, we could grow our 
economy even more and secure our economic future. We need the people to 
fill these jobs.
  The H-1B visa bill that we introduced this morning attacks this in 
two different directions. One, we go out and try to attract the best 
and the brightest from around the world. That is just common sense. Why 
would not we want the best, brightest, and most capable minds in the 
world here in the U.S., growing our economy and generating jobs for us. 
We need to expand those numbers and bring those folks in.
  But we also increase the fee for those H-1B visas and will, 
therefore, generate $200 million in money to invest in educating our 
own population to fill those jobs as well. Because this is a long-term 
problem. Bringing in people from other countries is a short-term 
solution. We heed to educate our own workforce so that they want to be 
scientists and engineers and have access to those jobs so they start 
filling them as well.
  This is absolutely critical to the future of our economy. I think we 
should

[[Page 2857]]

support this bill in the House and in the Senate and hopefully move 
forward with our economic situation so that we can fill those jobs that 
need to be filled.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dooley).
  Mr. DOOLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be joining 
the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Moran), the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Eshoo) and a number of other Members in the new Democrat coalition 
that are advancing a policy we think is very, very important, to allow 
the United States to maintain its relative advantage in terms of 
clearly being the leader in the world in technology.
  This is absolutely critical for the United States, because when one 
looks at that technology sector, it is an area where we have created 
more jobs, where we have created more wealth, where we are creating 
more opportunities for our families.
  What the H-1B legislation that we are introducing today is, in many 
ways, is going to ensure that the United States has the top 200,000 
draft choices, the top 200,000 draft choices for the brightest, the 
most intelligent, the most capable engineers throughout the world.
  We should feel fortunate as a country that these bright minds are 
interested in coming and investing their time and energy in creating 
jobs, in creating opportunities which are so important to the longer 
term future of this country.
  We have also have made the commitment to ensure that we are investing 
in education and job training programs, which are going to ensure that 
we are developing the domestic talent that can eventually fill these 
positions.
  We have come forth with a balanced approach, one which will continue 
to ensure that the United States is providing the leadership in the 
technology sector and also a commitment to provide up to $200 million, 
in education for our high school students, for our college students, 
for our post-college students to ensure that they are going to have the 
academic skills that are needed to fill the tremendous demand for 
employees in the technology sector.

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