CALL YOUR SENATORS NOW AND ASK THEM TO OPPOSE CANTWELL AMENDMENT #1249!!!
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) have offered an amendment to the Bush-Kennedy bill to satisfy the corporate thirst for foreign high-tech workers. In its current form, the Bush-Kennedy bill replaces the existing family-based and employment-based green card system with a merit-based system. Under the merit-based system an alien"™s green card application will be evaluated and assigned points for various skills and education level. Applicants with the most points will be first in line for receiving green cards. However, despite the fact that other countries such as Canada and Australia have a merit-based system for granting permanent residence, big business doesn't like it because the employers are no longer able to control who comes into the country by sponsoring an alien's green card application.
Right now huge corporations are working behind the scenes to restore their control of which aliens are given green cards and are lobbying Senators hard to support the Cantwell Amendment (#1249). In fact, Roll Call reports that "many of the business groups, which on Monday sent a letter outlining their position to key Senators, say their support for the immigration bill hinges on the Cantwell-Cornyn amendment."
The Cantwell-Cornyn Amendment will not delete the merit-based system, but will add another 140,000 green cards that employers may annually sponsor. The Cantwell-Cornyn amendment would also allow highly-skilled H-1B workers to pursue a dual path toward permanent residency and citizenship and would allow foreigners who have work experience, in lieu of advanced degrees, to qualify for the H-1B visas.
FAIR is urging members and activists to call their Senators TODAY and urge them to oppose the Cantwell-Cornyn Amendment (#1249)!!! The amendment adds another 140,000 green cards to an already over-burdened system only for the purpose of pleasing huge corporations as they race to import foreign workers who will depress wages and displace American workers.
To find the phone number of your Senators, click here.
Cantwell Amendment
