Rep. Fitzgerald Statement on Trump Administration’s Reforms to the H-1B Program to Protect American Workers

OCONOMOWOC, WI - Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement after President Trump signed a Proclamation to reform the H-1B visa program to protect American workers.

"Relying on foreign labor is not a long-term solution, it's a broken system. If we're serious about fixing this problem, we need to put American workers first in American jobs. For too long, the H-1B program has been used as a crutch, bringing in overseas workers instead of training and hiring our own citizens. Right now, 235 positions at UW-Madison are filled by foreign workers because the university hasn't produced enough skilled American graduates to do those jobs. It's not just UW. As reported yesterday, some of Wisconsin's top companies are turning to foreign labor instead of finding talent here at home.

"President Trump's action takes a critical step toward putting American workers back at the front of the line. If a company insists it needs specialized foreign labor, it can pay the one-time $100,000 fee, and that money goes right back into strengthening our country.

"Drastic measures must be taken with the H-1B program because small or short-term fixes haven't worked in the past and, in many cases, haven't even been seriously attempted. That's exactly what the Trump Administration is doing: confronting the problem head-on and making sure American workers have the priority they deserve."

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