Rep. Hill: Here is Why I Voted in Favor of H.R. 1044, the Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act

Statement

Congressman French Hill (AR-02) issued the following statement on H.R. 1044, the Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act:

Today, I voted in favor of H.R. 1044, the Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act, and let me tell you why.

In a world full of contentious debate over immigration, this bill has overwhelming bipartisan support. In the House, it has 108 Republican and 203 Democratic cosponsors. In the Senate, it has 19 Republicans, including Senator Tom Cotton, and 15 Democratic cosponsors. The bill passed the House today by a bipartisan vote of 365-65.

Let's get one thing perfectly clear: this bill does not increase overall immigration numbers or the number of employment-based visas. This bill simply eliminates antiquated and arbitrary caps on the number of individuals who may come from a particular country and ensures that all new applicants for an employment based green card will wait the same amount of time for that green card, regardless of their country of birth. After they earn their green card, they will be able to open businesses, further contributing to our economy, and, should they choose and meet the qualifications, become United States citizens.

Since coming to Congress, I've always supported legal immigration and those coming to America the right way. I have met with several groups in Arkansas that are stuck in this green card backlog. Because of this backlog, they cannot become entrepreneurs and start businesses, or accept promotions or change employers unless they want to start over in the green card line. Further, the children of these individuals, who I call "legal dreamers," must self deport when they turn 21 even though many have been living in the United States with their parents since they were toddlers.

Our immigration policy should be transparent and based on a first come, first served basis, and that's what this bill does for employment-based green card applicants. I stand with my Arkansas colleagues in the House and Senate who support this policy; it's a good first step to help fix our broken immigration system.

I will continue to support legislation that closes asylum loopholes, fixes visa overstays, requires more E-Verify checks, and improves seasonal labor. These reforms, plus improved border security, are actionable measures that will help fix this broken system.

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