I have unconfirmed reports that we may have stuck a temporary "block" on this.

But, ya all, I think we need to get this technique of displacing US workers through insourcing, front and center in the Democratic platform, along with offshore outsourcing, trade, fund REAL R&D, higher education, etc., reform the corporate tax code and general erosion of the middle class techniques, as well as promote/discuss/debate policy changes to enable working America.

This is one area (insourcing) where I also believe we can build up consensus across party lines...because let's face it, most voters are working America and they can understand what's going on here when their careers are on the line.

Some Democrats (names withheld) seem to have tried to woo corporate $$$.  Let's face it - that is where the money is when it comes to campaign financing.  It's tough to turn it down.  We need campaign finance reforms so that candidates aren't forced to turn to big business.

Big business already has a party - it is called the Republican party.  I think the Democratic party should be the party of small/medium sized American businesses, and American workers.  You'll know an American business when you see one because they are incorporated here in America (as opposed to Jamaica to avoid paying taxes), they pay honest wages, and they have local folks doing the work.

So many companies now have a sales office here, but do all the work offshore.  Then to add insult to injury, they avoid taxes by incorporated offshore in some tax haven.

I think more it's important to put your foot down and prove
this is simply not good macro economic strategy and this does effect corporations and big business, to kow tow to their micro-economic plans that are obviously based on quarterly projections and simply not long term.

One can say, ok, corporations, you can have this tax credit, this R&D incentive, this government funded research and so on, but you cannot use labor arbitrage as a method to boost your profits on a short term quarterly timeline, which is your current business model...no no, doesn't work and ultimately
will come back and byte you by destroying the US as a world leading economy, never mind the nation.

Trade deficits and a 40% dollar drop projection because of it is what's coming to my immediate mind.

Don't let them sneak this through.

Well, Cornyn tried to pass S.2691 (Skil Act) last night but failed but they are going to try TONIGHT!!!!

Please call!

There are reports that Bill Gates and 11 Microsoft lobbyists
have swarmed the hill with arm twists, campaign contributions, propaganda and whatever it takes to try to pass this before Friday.

Can you believe that?  Microsoft just laid off a bunch of contract workers for a week to "save money"...some "worker shortage"!

http://www.dailykos....

Well, supposedly now Microsoft Lobbyists and Sen. Cornyn are trying to claim that the SKIL Act is just a way to encourage Masters/PHD S&E to stay in the United States.

Now this is false because the bill doubles H-1B, has a 20% automatic escalator and turns the L-1 (which is supposed to be a very short Visa for inter-company transfer) into a long term guest worker.

There is also the F-4, which gives a green card to any foreigner who graduates from ANY school in any area of science, engineering, mathematics (note some of these areas have high unemployment rates) and they have an entire year to find ANY job.

I do not believe anyone wants to discourage true talent from coming to the US but the above should raise red flags that our opportunities for Americans in graduate school will be at risk, that the current stipends and scholarships are simply not enough to encourage Americans, never mind that they risk being labor arbitraged out of their careers in a matter of years (as in less than 10) and also yet another way to repress wages, not fix the current labor and working condition complaints in Academia from graduate students and post-docs (researchers) and an even more controversial problem is that even recent immigrants, who are being touted as entrepreneurs are using their new citizenship to create companies abroad, offshore outsource jobs and not building up companies and even innovating (product design, R&D, etc.) in their newly adopted country. 

That's a new one and I'm just putting it out there because it can certainly be construed/has implications in a lot of different ways.

So, bottom line this could be passed today.  The H-1C Visas just got passed last night, which is worrisome. (I honestly do not know if there really is a real nursing shortage, it's a labor arbitrage tactic or what the Nursing unions think of this...they were opposed 2003).

I also am noting something interesting.  Some of the "immigration groups" are getting complaints from their members that they should not focus on this and it should only be illegal immigration.  As we know some labor groups are not focused in on how illegal immigration affects wages or immigration generally, even though this is a major component of any labor economics policy.

At the same time, because on this bill the immigration groups, labor, professional society members, grassroots and netroots are all calling their representatives, we are having some success beating back the biggest pack of corporate lobbyists to date.

It's just a note but I am really wondering if paying more attention to working America generally might lead to a powerful force, tone down the more offensive aspects and get a more "for working America" immigration policy generally.
Just a thought, something I noticed.  The above coalition is more certainly not the norm.

It appears we have dodged a bullet for now on the SKIL ACT (S.2691) or tagging on H-1B Visa increases into another bill.

John Boehner per Sen. Cornyn's request, tried to sneak H-1B Visa increases (or SKIL ACT itself, unknown to date), into the Nuclear Trade deal, which was "secret" between 5 House & Senate conferees to resolve the bills between the House and Senate,  but was blocked.  It is unclear of the motivation of the block, esp. Sen. Joe Biden.  Let me say this, we have many Democratic representatives who also are representing special and corporate interests instead of working America, so this fight is by no means over.

Thank you to all who picked up the phone and helped.

I also need to say, we had professional societies, "reduced immigration" groups, labor, grassroots and netroots groups working on this.  That was quite bi-partisan and there is no doubt that on every issue all of these groups do not see "eye to eye" but that also tells me at least just how much effort and alliance it takes to stop legilsation that Corporations want.  We're told that Microsoft lobbyists literally swarmed the hill and Cornyn has received $145,000 in campaign contributions from the High Tech industry.

It's still very obvious to me that special interests, corporate interests are pouring money into campaigns, war chests and other methods to buy our representatives.

cached  Interesting a news story released just hours ago was removed.

Thank God for caching.