Tech companies were quick to back a bipartisan proposal from four senators on Tuesday that would substantially increase the number of visas and green cards available for foreign workers with science and technology backgrounds. A host of tech companies and trade groups rushed to praise the Immigration Innovation Act, which would automatically grant green cards to foreigners that earn graduates degrees from American universities in the STEM fields. The bill from Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Chris Coons, D-Del., echoes some of the concepts laid out by President Obama in his Tuesday speech in Nevada, and could ultimately folded into a broader immigration policy overhaul, if one gains traction in Congress.
The legislation would raise the cap on H-1B guest worker visas from 65,000 to 115,000 or more, depending on demand. It would make it easier for those temporary workers to change jobs while in the U.S. and would grant work permits to their spouses. The bill would also grant green cards to relatives of foreign workers without counting against the cap of 140,000 per year, and change the rule that prevents any one country from netting more than 7 percent of the total number of green cards in a given year. That limit will now be raised to 15 percent, which is expected to ease backlogs in countries such as India and China. The legislation's provisions are relatively noncontroversial compared to some of the other immigration proposals on the table, and they have been previously supported by both parties. Whether the effort moves forward will depend on the broader immigration debate, but if Congress does address immigration, it looks like tech companies may come out the big winners.
Quotable: "Facebook appreciates all of the momentum in Congress and the Administration to fix our nation's broken immigration system. There is no denying the skills gap that threatens the expansion and competitiveness of a sector that has been a tremendous engine of innovation, economic growth and job creation in America — the Immigration Innovation Act addresses this gap. We look forward to continuing our work with lawmakers to effectively tackle this problem." — Joel Kaplan, Facebook Vice President for U.S. Public Policy Committees Announce Joint Internet Freedom Hearing: As we previously reported, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will hold a joint hearing on Internet freedom on Feb. 5 with two House Foreign Affairs subcommittees. The hearing notice promises that "the subcommittees will also be discussing legislation to affirm that it is the policy of the United States to promote a global Internet free from government control. Legislative text will be provided in advance of the hearing." Both chambers of Congress passed resolutions prior to the United Nations telecom conference in Dubai last month that re-iterated American opposition to any change in the multi-stakeholder model that currently governs the Internet. The legislation would likely codify that settlement, and could set up a sticking point between the U.S. and other U.N. members when it comes to telecom treaties. However, Internet freedom has become a key political issue for both parties and lawmakers are unlikely to bow on this critical point, regardless of diplomatic pressure. On the Move: The LA Times reported Tuesday that former FCC chief of staff Edward Lazarus has been named executive vice president and general counsel for the Tribune Co., which owns the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and a host of other media properties. The Tribune Co. has been among the companies lobbying for the FCC to drop its cross-ownership rules, which prevent companies from owning newspapers and TV stations in the same market. The company currently has waivers for both the Chicago and Los Angeles markets. Free Press CEO Craig Aaron blasted the hire in an emailed release:"Tribune may be out of bankruptcy, but the bankrupt state of policymaking in Washington never ends. Maybe this job for one of Julius Genachowski's closest advisers explains why the FCC Chairman is so eager to trash the few remaining media ownership limits, going against the positions of President Obama, more than 60 members of Congress, the federal court of appeals, and millions of Americans," Aaron said.
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