On the recordDecember 5, 2012
I think the record should be clear that our side of the aisle believes we should act today and not wait and not delay further this important STEM Jobs Act for the very reason I said earlier, which is that it will help job creators and entrepreneurs. The reason STEM visas are particularly powerful is because these individuals with special expertise in math, technology, engineering, and the like are uniquely qualified to be able to start up new enterprises and to attract and create jobs for other people. In other words, there is a multiplier effect. For every 1 of the 55,000 green cards that would be created by this act, there are hundreds of thousands of people who would enjoy jobs as a result of the economic activity in this country. I hope we don't sacrifice another crop of science, technology, and engineering graduates in the hope that we can get the perfect immigration bill. In fact, we know this is a difficult area in which to legislate, and both sides of the aisle know we need to deal with all of the different facets of our broken immigration system. But this bill has passed the House. It is here and now. We could pass it today by unanimous consent but for the objection of our friends across the aisle and the objection, amazingly enough, of the President of the United States who himself has claimed for at least the last 4 years that he is in favor of immigration reform.…
