Green Cards for 55,000 Foreign Graduates of U.S. Colleges

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, December 14, 2012 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim.  On November 30th , the U.S. House passed the STEM Act, H.R. 6429 which would give 55,000 green cards to foreign students that graduate with a doctor’s or master’s degree from a U.S. university.  So, U.S. graduates with a
degree in science, technology, engineering or math would have to compete with foreigners for jobs in their own country.
 
The STEM Act introduced by House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, was praised by Virginia Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who claims it’s an opportunity to bring high-skilled immigrants into our
workforce, boost the economy and reunite families, meaning foreign students’ families would get green cards, too.  Only five Republicans voted AGAINST it and 27 Democrats voted FOR it.

It’s a slap in every American’s face to say the world’s best and brightest minds are in foreign countries.  If that’s true, why aren’t foreign students educated by intellectuals in their own country’s universities.  Mr. Cantor said immigrants contributed to 72 percent of patents filed by four American companies, but he failed to say Americans would have been working in those jobs and developing those patents, if the four American companies had hired American citizens instead of foreigners. Continue reading →