U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) believes that the H-1B visa program is necessary for America’s economy, but is also in need of serious reform to protect American workers.
The issue has garnered new controversy recently as President Donald Trump has defended the program despite pushback from some in his base.
“You can’t take people off an unemployment line and say, ‘I’m going to put you into a factory where we’re going to make missiles,’” Trump said recently on Fox News.
The H-1B is a classification of non-immigrant visa in the United States that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations, as well as fashion models, or persons who are engaged in Department of Defense projects who meet certain conditions.
Britt was asked about the issue during a press call on Tuesday.
“I think we have to value American workers. I think that that has to be our priority,” Britt said.
“Look, I understand the value that that we receive, and at times, the need we have of foreign workers, and I think that there absolutely has to be a pathway for that. But what I am not okay with is ultimately that hitting American wages in a negative way, or working conditions for Americans, or employment opportunities for Americans.”
The senator discussed how the program can sometimes undercut opportunities for skilled Americans in certain fields.
“You probably saw, in 60 minutes, that many of the American workers are actually training the foreign workforce,” she explained, “and what we need to be doing is driving American talent and innovation to be able to succeed here, and not undercutting that with a program that aims to ultimately undercut their wages and displace them.”
Britt said it’s time for her and her colleagues in the Senate to take a hard look at fixing the program.
“So, while I certainly understand the need for that, and I think we have to keep it pathway open for that,” she said, “I think that we need to see revisit the program. I think it needs some serious reforms.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
