John Hope Bryant: “I am the ranking minority member on the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration. I am an original cosponsor of…”

“I am the ranking minority member on the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration. I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 2202, the Immigration in the National Interest Act. I have supported the bill and worked to improve it throughout the legislative process to date. I did not expect to have every amendment I might have wanted to offer on the House floor to be made in order, so I only filed three. I told the members of the Rules Committee that I considered two to be crucial. Only one was made in order under this rule. Inexplicably, my amendment to protect American jobs for American workers was not. While the H-1B language in H.R. 2202 makes some improvement, it does not go far enough. Under the bill skilled American workers still can be laid off and replaced with H-1B nonimmigrant foreign workers to do their jobs. It was contrary to good public policy when it was enacted-- and I voted against it--and it is contrary to good public policy now. My amendment will protect skilled U.S. workers from being laid off to benefit foreign workers. It will require employers to recruit U.S. workers who have the skills for these jobs. it will require employers to help train U.S. workers who want these jobs. And, it will give U.S. workers a better shot at getting those jobs. H.R. 2202 does none of this.”