By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Friday, March 11, US Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) urges changes in the law to prevent H-1B Visa abuse by corporations. Sen. Sessions said, “Any law that blatantly allows for the firing of American workers with the intent of replacing them with imported workers cannot, and must not, stand.”
Senator Sessions said, “The American people need to understand two key facts about the H-1B non-immigrant visa program. First, under existing law, there is simply no requirement for most employers to seek a US worker before bringing over a foreign H-1B worker. Secondly, to quote Dr. Ron Hira, Associate Professor of Public Policy at Howard University, ‘American workers can legally be replaced by an H-1B worker.’ Absent meaningful changes to the program, abuses of American workers like we have seen at Disney, Southern California Edison, Northeast Utilities, Fossil, and elsewhere will continue to occur – leading to more job losses, wage depression, and the elimination of future job opportunities for countless American workers.”
Sen. Sessions continued, “Some in Congress have recognized these facts and called for meaningful reform to the program, and have introduced legislation such as the American Jobs First Act, the Protecting American Jobs Act, and the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act. All of these legislative efforts are squarely in line with the interests of the American people, although they are fiercely opposed by powerful portions of the business lobby and the open-borders advocates. Meanwhile, too many politicians continue to turn a blind eye to the unjustifiable injustices in the current H-1B program, and support legislation such as the I-Squared Act – legislation that would triple the number of H-1B visas and provide work permits to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, while doing nothing to protect American workers.”
Sen. Sessions concluded, “The time for excuses has long since passed. This abuse must end—now. Any law that blatantly allows for the firing of American workers with the intent of replacing them with imported workers cannot, and must not, stand.”
Senator Sessions has long been a staunch proponent of enforcing existing immigration laws, while reforming those laws to protect American workers and what he believes to be the national interest. Sessions has been calling for decreasing the immigration rates to this country for years and has denounced corporations like Disney, who fired large numbers of experienced workers to replace them with less experienced H-1B immigrants.
Sen. Sessions was consulted by Republican Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump when the billionaire businessman and reality TV star prepared his border security and immigration plan. Sen. Sessions later endorsed Trump at a massive rally in Madison two weeks ago. Sessions has been mentioned as a possible Trump administration attorney general.
Sen. Sessions Chairs the Senate’s Judiciary Committee subcommittee on Immigration and the national interest.
Sen. Sessions was re-elected to his fourth term in the US Senate in 2014 with no opposition.
