Sen. George Allen (R,VA) - Globalist

One of the primary functions of globalism is the free movement of labor across national borders.

The hidden "guest worker" provisions of the current "amnesty" immigration bills will make temporary employment visas virtually unlimited and provide a fast track to citizenship affecting over one million American middle-class jobs per year. High tech and engineering jobs are the hardest hit, but all professional jobs are on the line.
Sen. Allen is co-sponsor of Sen. John Cornyn's (R,TX) "SKIL Bill" S.2691 which is the back-up plan for this same labor arbitrage (actually WORSE) in the event that S.2611 fails.

The American press does not visit this issue.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/05/08/stories/2006050802750200.htm

The SKIL (Securing Knowledge Innovation and Leadership) Bill which was introduced recently by Senator Mr John Cornyn proposes exemptions for US educated foreign workers with advanced degrees in math, science, technology and engineering fields from the H-1B and EB quotas so that their talent could be retained in the US.

Other provisions include creation of a flexible, market-based H-1B cap; extension of foreign students' post-curricular optional practical training from 12 months to 24 months to allow them to go more easily from student to green card; and exemptions for EB/green card immigrant spouses and children from the annual cap.

Here is Allen's immigration voting record;
http://grades.betterimmigration.com/testgrades.php3?District=VA&VIPID=899

Voted on Senate floor to kill amendment to strike guestworker provisions from immigration bill 2006
Sen. Allen voted for a motion to table the Dorgan Amendment (SA 4017) to S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 . The Dorgan amendment would have stricken the guestworker provisions of the bill that would add an estimated 8.4 million foreign workers and their dependents over the next ten years (according to a May, 2006 study by the Heritage Foundation+óGé¼Gäós Robert Rector). The motion to table passed by a voted of 68 to 29, effectively killing the Dorgan amendment.

Cosponsoring bill to increase foreign-worker importation in 2005-2006
Sen. Allen is a cosponsor of S. 2109, the National Innovation Act of 2005. S. 2109 would continue the H-1B program that every year imports additional high-tech workers as part of "comprehensive immigration reform." The H-1B program has been shown to harm American workers by depressing wages and displacing workers. As well, S. 2109 suggests that comprehensive reform must include provisions to "eliminate delays in processing immigration proceedings, including employment-based visa applications." This provision would do nothing but encourage the rubberstamping of applications, which is already happening because of the existing "backlog elimination" program and would promote and encourage fraud and corruption.

Voted against amendment to strip foreign-worker increase in 2005
Sen. Allen voted against the Byrd Amendment to S. 1932, the Budget Reconciliation bill. The amendment, introduced by Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), would have stripped ALL immigration increases from the Budget Reconciliation bill and replaced the increase with a provision to impose a $1,500 fee on employers who hire certain non-immigrants. The immigration increase was added to the Budget Reconciliation bill by the Senate Judiciary Committee as a result of an 14-2 vote in favor of an amendment introduced by Senator Arlen Specter. The Specter plan would increase permanent, employment-based immigration by nearly tripling the number of foreign workers who can enter the U.S. each year. As well, it exempts workers+óGé¼Gäó families from the 140,000-visa cap on employment-based immigration. It also raises the cap on employment-based permanent immigration by adding each year the lesser of 90,000 visas or any +óGé¼+ôunused+óGé¼-¥ employment-based visas from any prior year. Altogether, these provisions could generate a net increase in permanent immigration of 366,000 aliens, or about one-third of current, annual legal immigration. Senator Byrd+óGé¼Gäós amendment was cosponsored by Sens. Sessions (R-AL) and Durbin (D-IL). It was also supported by the AFL-CIO. The Byrd Amendment failed by a vote of 14 to 85.

Voted in favor of amendment to increase foreign-worker importation in 2005
Sen. Allen voted in favor of S. Amdt. 387, an amendment offered by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), to H.R. 1268, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005. The Mikulski amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act increased the number of H-2Bs who can enter and take jobs in the United States in the next two years and apportioned the H-2B visa cap so that visas will be available throughout the year. Specifically, the Mikulski Amendment would split the H-2B visa cap so no more than 33,000 visas are made available for the first six months the fiscal year, and another 33,000 visas would be available in the second half of the year. HOWEVER, the Mikulski Amendment exempts from the annual cap aliens granted an H-2B visa within three years prior to approval of an H-2B petition, thus potentially TRIPLING the number of H-2B workers in the United States at any one time. Although apportioning H-2B visas is a common-sense approach that will help prevent the situation that occurred in FY 2004 and FY2005 when the 66,000 annual cap on H-2B (low-skill) nonimmigrant visas was hit within the first quarter of the year, the Mikulski Amendment would ultimately harm American workers by creating exemptions which potentially could triple the number of H-2B workers in the U.S. at any given time. Fortunately, however, the increase is limited to two years, and the additional visas can go only to foreign workers who worked in this country legally during the last three years. The Amendment passed by a vote of 94 to 6.

Cosponsoring legislation to increase H-2B workers who are present in the U.S. at any one time in 2005-2006
Sen. Allen is a cosponsor of S. 352, the Save Our Small and Seasonal Business Act of 2005, to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to limit the timing of issuance of H-2B visas during a fiscal year. Specifically, S. 352 would split the H-2B visa cap so no more than 33,000 visas are made available for the first six months the fiscal year, and another 33,000 visas would be available in the second half of the year. HOWEVER, S. 352 exempts from the annual cap aliens granted an H-2B visa within three years prior to approval of an H-2B petition, thus potentially TRIPLING the number of H-2B workers in the United States at any one time. Although timing the issuance of H-2B visas is a common-sense approach that would help prevent the situation that occurred in FY 2004 and FY 2005 when the 66,000 annual cap on H-2B (low-skill) nonimmigrant visas was hit within the first quarter of the year, S. 352 would ultimately harm American workers by creating exemptions which potentially could triple the number of H-2B workers in the U.S. at any given time.

Cosponsored bill to import more low-skill, foreign workers in 2004
Sen. Allen cosponsored the Summer Operations and Services (SOS) Relief and Reform Act, S. 2258. Introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), S. 2258 said that any worker who was approved for an H-2B visa in the two years preceding the current year can get an H-2B visa this year, without regard for the cap. S. 2258 had the potential to triple, rather than just double, the cap of 66,000, because it could affect 66,000 from FY 2002 and 66,000 from FY 2003, plus the 66,000 already approved for 2004.

Voted against amendment to provide funding for additional Border Patrol and ICE agents in 2005
Sen. Allen voted against the Byrd Amendment (S. Amdt. 516) to H.R. 1268, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief of 2005. The Byrd Amendment provides $390 million to hire 650 more border patrol agents, 250 new immigration investigators, and 168 new immigration enforcement agents and deportation officers. The Byrd amendment also provides funds for 2,000 additional detention beds as well as funding to train the new personnel. Passage of the Byrd Amendment sent a strong signal from the Senate in favor of increased Border Patrol and Interior Enforcement. The Byrd Amendment passed by a vote of 65 to 34.

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