Republicans and Democrats in Washington don’t agree on much, but
they do seem to agree on this: America’s immigration policy should
prioritize the admission of “skilled” immigrants.
This column is about why they are wrong.
But first, a bit on the consensus. President Obama embraced it over the weekend in his weekly address. “Immigration reform would make it easier for highly-skilled immigrants and those who study at our colleges and universities to start businesses and create jobs right here in America,” the president said. He warned that if Congress does not act, “We won’t benefit from highly-skilled immigrants starting businesses and creating jobs here.”
The Democrat-controlled Senate embraced this theory in its immigration bill, which set up a system of what the legislation calls “merit-based points,” under which a doctoral degree is worth 15 points, a master’s degree ten points, and a bachelor’s degree is worth five points. And the Republican-controlled House of Representatives earlier this month moved through the Judiciary Committee something called the SKILLS Visa Act, which describes itself as a bill “to enhance American competitiveness through the encouragement of high-skilled immigration.”
http://reason.com/archives/2013/07/15/republicans-and-democrats-dont-agree-on
This column is about why they are wrong.
But first, a bit on the consensus. President Obama embraced it over the weekend in his weekly address. “Immigration reform would make it easier for highly-skilled immigrants and those who study at our colleges and universities to start businesses and create jobs right here in America,” the president said. He warned that if Congress does not act, “We won’t benefit from highly-skilled immigrants starting businesses and creating jobs here.”
The Democrat-controlled Senate embraced this theory in its immigration bill, which set up a system of what the legislation calls “merit-based points,” under which a doctoral degree is worth 15 points, a master’s degree ten points, and a bachelor’s degree is worth five points. And the Republican-controlled House of Representatives earlier this month moved through the Judiciary Committee something called the SKILLS Visa Act, which describes itself as a bill “to enhance American competitiveness through the encouragement of high-skilled immigration.”
http://reason.com/archives/2013/07/15/republicans-and-democrats-dont-agree-on
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