yes - senators will absolutely not confirm holds/removal of them unless in the public domain via press release. i called sen grassley's office soon after ** announcement that he has agreed to remove the hold. A staffer said that the hold firmly remains in place...Literally 30 mins later, i saw an official statement on the senators website confirming the removal of the hold
WARNING...
Please keep the discussion civil. Refrain from personal attacks. Please address others properly just as you wish they did you.
So when is the STEM bill coming up for vote today?
Also, from one of the posted articles it seems that it wasn't just axing DV that was the roadblock to reconciling the two versions, Schumer wanted to throw in some family reunification crap. The Dems are the ones derailing the bill by adding provisions for less-meritorious constituencies. This is politics of the lowest common denominator.
If cloture is needed, then there is zero chance it will come up this week. I agree with the 1-10% chance during the lame duck.
Smith's bill under debate as of now ...
Watching CSPAN live online right now. Conyers really grasping at straws.Quote:
Originally Posted by kkruna
Plain lies from George Miller. He has apparently never heard of PWDs.
Impassioned defense from Gutierrez. Same BS argument that my parents were cab drivers implying that this is what America needs today.
One more thing - does anyone find the Dems argument that Africans need DVs to come to this country slightly self-defeating? Aren't they indirectly implying that fewer Africans would come here on STEM visas? It's a rhetorical question, but I find it ironic that as the upholders of African immigration rights they are effectively insulting them and calling them less capable.
Sorry if this has been answered already. But I found this on Oh law firm site. Actually it is in the text of Schumer's BRAINS Act..
6. It allows temporary workers on high-skilled visas who have not violated their status to renew their visas from within the United States.
Does this mean, if it passes we can get a stamp from within USA and not worry about stamping when we visit our home country?
Yes, that is correct, if Schumer bill see light on present congress...Politics, Politics and POLITRICKS!Quote:
Originally Posted by feedmyback
This is from OH law firm... I do not believe this, but some news about our H.R.3012
http://www.immigration-law.com/
For H.R. 3012, the business community and supporters of this bill apparently have worked hard to take it up on the Senate floor before the Senate goes into the recess. The Senate wants to wrap up most of its legislative work today so that the members of the Congress can go to their districts this weekend. This depends on passage of H.J. Res. 117 Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government for the next six month to prevent shut down of federal government at the end of this month. The House passed this bill and the Senate picked up this bill on the floor yesterday, but believe it or not, two Senators presented amendments before the Senate adjourned yesterday. The Senate will struggle with this bill today to keep their agenda to finish up their legislative works today. The Senate majority leader hopes that the Senate passes this bill and should they have time, the Senate wants to take up other Roll Call Vote bills as many as possible. It is uncertain whether H.R. 3012 can come within this plan, but even if yes, unless the Senate is able to pass the Continuing Resolutions without exhausting its entire time today, it is infeasible unless the unlikely scenario of unanimous consent that has been agreed up between the two party leaders. Please stay tuned.
Well the STEM bill failed in the House. Thanks Democrats for NOTHING.
yeah.. yeah.. this was expected.. now next game is on in Senate with Schumer's Circus... one Republican Senator is enough to hold that bill then and there... So proved without any doubt... POLITRICKS!Quote:
Originally Posted by abcx13
Schumer's bill is now DOA because I don't think the Republicans will pass it. This is the Democrats playing Politricks.Quote:
Originally Posted by immitime
Africa is a pet issue for a minority of Reps from the Congressional Black Caucus. In this case though, I think Rep. Lee was just confused. She kept referring to family reunification, which is not what the Diversity Visa is meant for. I think Smith was very effective by keeping focus on the fact that DV entrants are keeping African American and Latino unemployment at levels significantly higher than the national average, and one of the other Reps said something about how their STEM bill would replace 3,000 DV Nigerian immigrants with 3,000 STEM Nigerian immigrants.Quote:
Originally Posted by abcx13
In any case, this whole exercise is pointless, as the WH and Senate have a competing bill, so this has no legs whatsoever.
Everywhere both the parties are playing POLITRICKS! without any shame.!Quote:
Originally Posted by abcx13
The Republicans definitely had the more rational and convincing arguments. BTW, the DV costs the US $1.3 billion. That's $26k/person.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pedro Gonzales
As expected. When you have a divided legislature and there are two competing bills, don't expect anything. Besides, STEM wasn't going to help us out immediately. As sportsfan pointed out earlier, it would increase the negative spread between EB2I and EB3ROW thereby increasing bitterness all around. I for one, would rather not be more bitter. Onwards and upwards with HR3012.Quote:
Originally Posted by abcx13
I think STEM would still have helped out because you would still need a MS certified job to qualify. Anyway, moot point.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pedro Gonzales
In addition to that, this bill, even if it had passed the house, it would have gone nowhere in the senate. The same might be true but in the reverse for Schumer's BRAIN act.Quote:
Originally Posted by abcx13
Nothing really works.. unless if there is a legislation to increase the numbers for EB and FB category! and that is not going anywhere soon. only hope now is H.R.3012Quote:
Originally Posted by abcx13
http://www.computerworld.com/s/artic...isa_bill_fails
What surprised me is that U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren is against the spillover of visas from STEM to other EB categories.
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U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), who introduced her own bill, said she could not support Smith's bill.
"Although this bill ostensibly seeks to increase STEM visas, it appears to have another, in my opinion, more sinister purpose -- to actually reduce legal immigration levels," said Lofgren, in a statement.
Lofgren cited the elimination of the diversity visa, but also faulted the bill for now allowing unused visas to be used to reduce green card backlogs.
************************************************** *********
luvspider - probably a typo - she faulted the bill for NOT... instead of now
Smith / Zoe Lofgren proposals are out now and there is a very little chance for Schumer bill to pass through congress. Hopefully the tech lobbyists shift their energy towards 3012 and also hope it’s not really a lame duck session and our stuff gets passed during that period.Quote:
Originally Posted by gs1968
I have gone through Pedro analysis.Quote:
Originally Posted by sportsfan33
I do not see in any of the STEM proposals ( Only Schumer proposal is left now ) that existing STEM degree holders will not tested in the labor market again. Meaning, the STEM degree holders who are in EB3 now and want to jump to new STEM category they have to go through the PERM process again as their current job (PERM) doesn’t require a MS and the same will apply for few/all in EB2.
I still believe that there will be a good spillover to EB2 at least in the 1st year of STEM.
I know we are jumping the gun way ahead. But it’s always good if we get educate ourselves in a what IF scenario.
As always I am open to correct myself if there is a good theory.
If it is just STEM education, then it is a flawed bill and I agree EB3s will overrun it. Especially if they allow SO to foreign STEM degree holders (though in theory this should only be after all US STEM holders have been processed). But reading between the lines, they require a STEM job, I think the requirements will be same as EB2 - it will also have to require a MS. Has anyone seen the actual text? Is the "job requires a Masters" for EB2 condition a USCIS admin law thing or is it codified?Quote:
Originally Posted by sportsfan33
Anyway, I am hopeful for at least some kind of legislation passing the lame duck...ideally it will be HR3012. Honestly I think that is still the best bill and the most beneficial. And then when white immigrants from Europe are backlogged too, we might see some higher quotas.