Utah Senator Orrin Hatch Says that ZaZona.com is Outdated

Utah Senator Orrin Hatch Supports H-1B

This is a response to a letter that an activist sent to Orrin Hatch. Hatch says that this website is outdated. His voting record is not outdated because H-1B is still the law of the land. In 2000 Hatch voted for S.2045, the Abraham H-1B bill to nearly triple the number of foreign high-tech workers. He did this despite the release of a GAO report finding no proof of a high-tech worker shortage and evidence of abuse in the H-1B program, Sen. Hatch voted for this foreign worker bill that contained no worker protections or anti-fraud measures. The bill passed the Senate 96-1. Hatch's Shameful Voting Record on H-1B is legendary.

WASHINGTON, DC 20510-1305

December 11, 2001

Dear Mr.:

Thank you for your e-mail regarding H-1B visas and amnesty for illegal aliens. Also, thank you for referencing the website www.zazona.com. Unfortunately, the website that you had referred me to was slightly outdated. I appreciate hearing your thoughts art this issue and welcome the opportunity to respond.

In the 106' Congress, I sponsored legislation, the American Competitiveness in the TwentyFirst Century Act, to increase the number of available H-1 B visas and broaden the category of those exempt from securing the same. Also, it increases funding for domestic training and education. The bill received tremendous support in the Senate with only one Senator dissenting and was signed into law on October 17, 2000 (P.L. 106-313). If the United States is to remain globally competitive, it is important that employers have the ability to hire the best employees for the jobs. This includes hiring foreign workers to meet the demands of the market as well as providing for the education of students and the retraining of the current workforce. In fact, the fee that an employer must pay to apply to sponsor a foreign worker is allocated to the Department of Labor for training programs and to the National Science Foundation for scholarships and grants for citizens of the United States.

I assure you that measures are included in the American Competitiveness in Twenty-First Century Act to safeguard American workers' jobs. For instance, the employer is required to pay the foreign worker as much as other employees in the same job or the current market value. In addition, the employer is only allowed to hire a limited number of foreign workers before they have to attest that they are not able to find an American to fill the job. Further, they have to show that they have not laid off any American workers for a period of time both before and after the hiring of foreign workers.

I assure you that I do not support any legislation that would grant blanket amnesty to illegal immigrants living within our borders. I believe that wide-ranging amnesty provides an incentive for aliens to enter the United States illegally and remain within the borders. These people are living here in violation of our laws. I am in favor of stronger enforcement of our current immigration laws while allowing for an orderly absorption of immigrants who have played by the rules. This will allow us to provide constructive opportunities for legal immigrants while meeting the needs of our own citizens.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts. Please feel free to contact my office again with any other issues of concern.