Sen. Bernie Sanders has proposed an amendment to the Laken-Riley Act aimed at reforming the H-1B visa program, primarily by replacing American workers with low-wage foreign guest workers. He claimed that there was. He argues that these workers are often exploited, similar to indentured servants. “The primary role of the H-1B program is not to hire the ‘best and brightest,’ but rather to replace the jobs of high-paying Americans with dozens of low-wage jobs from overseas, where they are often treated as indentured servitude.” “The cheaper it is to hire guest workers, the more money the billionaire owners of big companies make,” Sanders, 83, said earlier this week. , said on the Senate floor.
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Do you agree with Bernie Sanders’ criticism of the H-1B visa program?
Sanders directly challenged Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s support for the H-1B program, asking why Tesla would lay off thousands of American workers while simultaneously hiring H-1B visa holders. He questioned whether he was trying to do so. He cited the example of Tesla hiring H-1B workers at salaries significantly lower than typical salaries for similar jobs in the United States. He argued that the program was being used to drastically reduce labor costs for companies, rather than closing real skills gaps.
“They are two sides of the same coin. If there really is a significant shortage of skilled technology workers in this country, as Mr. Musk claims, why does Tesla have so many workers at its Austin, Texas, factory during job applications?” “Has it laid off more than 7,500 American workers last year, including software developers and engineers? Thousands of H-1B guest workers?” he asked.
Companies conducting mass layoffs should not be allowed to replace American workers with guest workers. “Finally, this amendment would prevent companies from treating H-1B guest workers as indentured servants. Under current law, H-1B guest workers are in low-wage jobs. “There are many cases where workers can have their visas revoked by their bosses if they complain about dangerous, unfair or illegal working conditions,” he said.
“That is unacceptable and must change. This amendment will make the H-1B visa portable and make it easier for guest workers to change jobs,” Sanders said.
Sanders’ amendment proposes the following changes:
H-1B fee increase: It doubles the fees companies pay to hire H-1B workers, generating an estimated $370 million annually in scholarships for American students in STEM fields.
Higher prevailing wage: Requires companies to pay H-1B workers at least the median local wage for their positions, preventing wage cuts for American workers.
Protection of American workers: Prohibits companies from replacing laid-off American workers with H-1B visa holders.
Worker protections: Make H-1B visas portable, allowing guest workers to change jobs and escape potentially exploitative working conditions.
Sanders criticized claims of a tech worker shortage, citing data showing large numbers of U.S. STEM graduates are unemployed. He noted that many of the top H-1B employers use outsourcing companies (“body shops”) that facilitate the outsourcing of talent domestically and internationally. He highlighted examples where H-1B workers, such as software developers in Dallas and accountants in Houston, are paid significantly less than American workers in comparable roles.
