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Obama Pledges Partnership with India

In an article he has written for India Abroad, the Illinois senator has also committed that he will encourage the active engagement and partnership of the Indian American community in “making the change we seek” in US

If anyone is not aware, India is intent on obtaining more offshore outsourcing “business” and guest worker Visas to take US jobs.  This is as one of their main agenda items.   They claim it’s simply trade.  Offshore outsourcing is now ~7.5% of their GDP.

Obama goes on to claim:

Together, we can restore and revitalize America’s innovation-based economy so that we can create jobs and meet our most pressing domestic challenges,” he said.

Acknowledging the prowess in IT and high technology fields of Indian Americans who have powered Silicon Valley, he said: “To succeed, we need to make use of technology, a sector where so many Indian Americans have thrived.

Realize he is not talking to US workers, he is telling India they can have our jobs.

Already, in communities across this country, Indian Americans are lifting up our economy and creating jobs,” he said. “Leading entrepreneurs, innovators, lawyers, doctors, engineers, and hardworking professionals are adding to the richness and success of the American society

That means H-1B Visas folks and the new F-4 Visa which has more global labor arbitrage methods than anything we have seen before.   Most of these Visas go to low skilled categories of workers, it’s not the unusual talent that is claimed and most immigrants who innovated did not come to the US on guest worker Visas.

To show you how bad this situation is, I am reprinting a letter Obama wrote to a constituent. The Constituent was forced to train his H-1B replacement before being fired and since that time has been yet another highly skilled professional sliding out of the middle class economically.  I put my own comments in brackets.  This is a real Obama letter replying to  his constituent’s dire economic situation caused by H-1B displacement.

Dear [Name removed for privacy]:

Thank you for writing me with your concerns about the H-1B visa program. I share your concern about the potential for abuse and agree that the H-1B visa program should be carefully monitored.

[RO: It’s perfectly legal labor arbitrage, abuse is minor because firing Americans and paying H-1Bs less is perfectly legal]

However, I do believe that the limited increase in visas for highly skilled immigrants will benefit the economy.

[RO: Transferring technology out of United States is why Indian Corporations call this Visa the outsourcing Visa.  It is used to technology transfer knowledge, skills out of the country.  IT used to be a trade surplus in the US, it is now a trade deficit.  That is not helping the US economy.  Also note Obama voted for massive increases in H-1B Visas already in the defeated immigration bills]

I understand and have heard your concerns about the H-1B visa program and its potential effect on the jobs and wages of American workers. he intent is that H-1B visas only be issued if qualified American workers are unable to take the jobs in question.

[RO: It would be nice if Obama knew the law. They do not have to consider an American worker before hiring a H-1B guest worker]

Also, H-1B visa holders should be paid a fair market wage for their work, not less than what an American worker would make for performing the same work. The program should not undercut existing wage structures by importing foreign workers.

[RO: If Obama  believed that he would co-sponsor his colleague Dick Durbin’s bill, S.1035, which he has not]

It should be kept in mind that the demand for these workers is well documented.

[RO: Yes, 54% of H-1B Visas are going to Indian “body shops” which labor arbitrage Americans and offshore outsource jobs]

When the H-1B annual numerical limits reverted to 65,000 from 195,000, the Fiscal Year 2004 limit was reached in mid-February 2004, and the Fiscal Year 2005 limit was reached on October 1, 2004, the first day of the fiscal year. The FY 2008 limit was reached in the first two days.

[RO: It is well documented by the Government Accountability Office that these Visa are used to displace US workers and wage arbitrage, yes that is a statistical department for Congress]

There is no question that we need to create more jobs for American workers. And, using the technology sector as an example, the economic production of companies assisted by workers on H-1B visas in 1998 created more than $16.8 billion in sales and over 58,000 jobs, the great majority of which are going to American workers.

[RO: Now this is incredible.  Obama spins Fictional Employment Theory:  the claim that job losses create jobs.  An insult to any American who now cannot pay their bills. Note he doesn’t say what kind of jobs, since jobs in engineering have dropped in number you know it is not engineering! ]

Immigrants with H1-B visas are not the cause of the squeeze on middle class families.

[RO: The constituent had to train their H-1B guest worker Visa holder replacement and get fired yet somehow enabling global labor arbitrage is not the cause! This is beyond the pale absurdity]

Tax, workforce, and infrastructure policies that favor the wealthy at the expense of greater deficits hurt working class Americans. Failing to address the health care crisis in America while favoring pharmaceutical companies hurts working Americans.
Blaming H1-B visas will not help us rise to meet these challenges.

I fully agree, however, that H-1B hires should be a last recourse as a matter of labor policy. I support the efforts of the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security to ensure that employers and H-1B applicants follow the intent and restrictions of the program.

[RO: The program is broken and it’s well documented, that’s the point]

For example, it is incumbent upon the Department of Labor to monitor the wages being paid to H-1B visa holders and enforce the H-1B program’s provision that wages reflect the current job market.

[RO: Again, seemingly oblivious to the actual law, paying H-1B guest workers much less is perfectly legal]

As this debate continues, Congress must assess how the H-1B visa affects job opportunities for Americans and wages in the relevant sectors.

[RO: Gee, I guess all of those GAO reports telling congress there is a major problem and that Congress needs to pass S.1035 isn’t good enough then. Your agencies have been reporting to Congress the program is broken and needs reform for years now]

I look forward to working with the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security and my colleagues in Congress to determine where there may be gaps in the enforcement of the program as it stands.

[RO: Not an enforcement issue, again, labor arbitrage is written into the law and the law needs to be changed]

I would also like to explore increasing the burden on employers to prove that all attempts had been made to hire qualified American workers.

[RO: Then why won’t Obama co-sponsor the bills which change the law to do just that! Above Obama doesn’t even recognize employers do not have to consider an American at all!]

I then will take the appropriate steps to protect the interests of American workers.

[RO: By promising to raise the cap per corporate lobbyists and India’s demands?]

Again, thank you for writing me about the H-1B visa program. Please stay in touch on any issue of concern to you.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama
United States Senator

For further details on how Obama has no qualms enabling global labor arbitrage, please read Is Obama for Change of More of the Same. The answer appears to be change for the worse.