Thomas Daschle: “Yesterday's vote demonstrates clearly that there is strong bipartisan support in the Senate for increasing the number of…”

“Yesterday's vote demonstrates clearly that there is strong bipartisan support in the Senate for increasing the number of visas for high-skilled workers. On that point, Democrats and Republicans agree, but there is a stark disagreement between our parties on the issue of fairness to immigrants. Republicans do not want to acknowledge this; they do not want to admit that they oppose the Latino and Immigrant Fairness Act. That is why they have gone to such extraordinary lengths to try to avoid having to take a public position on it. There is an election coming up, and they do not want to have to explain to Latino and immigrant groups why they told thousands of hard-working immigrants who are in this country doing essential jobs: Go home. Republicans would rather risk not delaying the passage of the H-1B visa bill than vote for the Latino and Immigrant Fairness Act or risk the political consequences of voting against it. There is really no reason we cannot pass both a strong H-1B bill and the Latino and Immigrant Fairness Act.”