Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to the FY 2013 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill that would block two U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) rules on temporary foreign workers. The H-2B visa program permits employers to hire low-skilled foreign workers to come temporarily to the U.S. and fill temporary or seasonal labor for industries that include construction. The DOL rules would have imposed new restrictions on all industries. The provision struck from the Senate Bill would have delayed the implementation on all industries except construction. The Amendment passed 19-11 with four Democrats joining all Republicans on the committee in support.
Passage of the amendment was significant because without it, the bill would have created a precedent where immigration law was developed to the detriment of a single industry. AGC was concerned that separating the construction industry from the rest of the business community could complicate the industry’s chances of being included in future comprehensive immigration proposals. AGC supported the Amendment.
Additional immigration reform legislation is not expected to pass this Congress. AGC will continue to work with congress and stop them from creating dangerous precedents for future immigration debates.
For more information, please contact Jim Young at (202) 547-0133 or youngj@agc.org.
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