Byron Dorgan: “I'm pleased to be joined by Senator Stevens in introducing legislation that we believe will develop high- tech…”

“I'm pleased to be joined by Senator Stevens in introducing legislation that we believe will develop high- tech employment opportunities in small towns and rural communities by using the H-1B visa program in a meaningful way for rural States. Over the past several decades, hundreds of communities in rural America have seen their populations shrink by more than a third. Devastated by the overwhelming loss of people and businesses, or outmigration, these rural communities have been stymied in their efforts to grow their economies and create jobs for their people. Most of these areas have also not benefited from the recent technology- driven growth in the economy. The combined effects of this economic stagnation and isolation have made it extremely difficult for these small rural towns to attract high-tech companies and recruit the skilled technology workers that they need to participate in the new economy. The proposal we are introducing today builds upon legislation signed into law by President Clinton last fall that provided the Nation's high-technology companies with the stopgap measure they needed to secure skilled workers for unfilled positions by increasing the annual number of foreign workers that can receive H-1B status to 195,000 over the next three years.”