Timothy H. Bishop: “I rise to call upon my leadership to address an urgent need in my district that is affecting other areas across the…”

“I rise to call upon my leadership to address an urgent need in my district that is affecting other areas across the country as well. Two weeks ago, the cap on H-2B immigration visas for seasonal workers was reached. Consequently, many family-owned businesses that depend on such employees will be without the workforce they need to stay in business. I support raising the cap on H-2B visas permanently and incorporating this change into broader immigration reform. Regrettably, partisanship blocked reform in the Senate last year. We must resolve to enact these smaller scale remedies we can agree upon today to alleviate the burden our broken immigration system imposes upon businesses as we continue to address economic and security challenges required to enact broader reform. In the absence of such a consensus, and although I would prefer a vote on broader reform, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act and related measures that would relieve business owners of the immediate threat caused by the freeze on H-2B visas. We cannot leave small businesses that want to do the right thing with the unacceptable choice of going out of business or hiring illegal workers.”