Another Key Republican Calls for H-1B Cap HIKE
There has been no rush by employers for H-1B visas since the recession began, but there is an increasing rhetorical push in the U.S. House to raise the visa cap.At a special hearing by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in San Jose Monday on high-tech growth policies, its chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), called for a liberalization of the H-1B cap.
Issa said that "there seems little doubt that federal policies and regulations have played a large role in hampering growth." Among other things, he cited the H-1B visa cap in his prepared remarks.
"Five years ago, Bill Gates and many others warned of the negative impact of strict caps on H-1B visas for technology workers on U.S. technology companies, with a commensurate positive effect on the high-tech industries in other countries, like China and India," said Issa.
Late last month, U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, also called for an H-1B cap increase.
Smith warned that if Congress doesn't a
