Trent Lott: “Will the Senator yield on another point? He and I have discussed the fact that we need to make sure that, wherever…”

“Will the Senator yield on another point? He and I have discussed the fact that we need to make sure that, wherever possible, some of these high-tech jobs be available in areas now that are underserved--rural areas, including my own State and the State of North Dakota and several other States. I think Nebraska would be in that group. You know, you can't direct where those jobs go, but we could encourage some of those programs, some of these people to be taken into areas where there are not now opportunities, that training be available for them. That certainly would be very attractive so we do not have the high-tech industry only concentrated on the west coast and Northern Virginia or in some other areas, but to try to spread it as much as possible. That is an issue I would like us to consider. With regard to the immigrant problems, I think, as he knows, we have in the past supported some movement in that area. I believe there is some application now to Nicaraguans that are here. Of course that causes some of the problems. Some of their neighbors don't have that same consideration. We should look at this issue. We should do it thoughtfully. But that is one of the problems. H-1B has been pending a long time. We need to get it done. The argument can be made that these are different issues.…”