The speed -- and stealth -- with which the House voted Tuesday

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) : One Thread

For information purposes only

The bill to expand the H-1B program to 200,000 a year passed the Congress. Of the three bills being considered, this one was the best that money could buy. As you will see in the attached article, the process used to pass the bill was simply outrageous. You need look no further than H-1B to see how the Congress has been corrupted by campaign cash. Trent Lott, Dick Gephart, and Dick Armey might as well hang a "for sale" sign out on the Capitol Dome.

I know that many of you are losing your jobs in the coming weeks as the next round of H-1B replacement workers enter the country. Until the programming profession becomes strong enough politically to fight our crooked Congress, we are going to continue to be at the mercy of business interests who can buy a Senator as easily as you or I buy a newspaper.

"This is not a popular bill with the public. It's popular with the CEOs." Rep Tom Davis (R-VA) to the National Journal

"This is a very important issue for the high-tech executives who give the money." Rep Tom Davis (R-VA) to the NY Daily News

"I have heard that regardless of our 'limitations,' we need to do something for Abraham if we want to see something moved in the Senate," E-mail from an Intel lobbyist after a meeting with Senator Trent Lott.

"According to my calculations that has us at about $7,000 so far. Any chance other companies can kick in quickly so we can show our support for Abraham? I think the sooner the better! We really can't afford to lose this opportunity." E-mail from a Motorola Lobbyist after the same meeting with Trent Lott.

If this took place in France, people would be burning tires in the streets.

We have a short respite before this issue surfaces again....and it will come back again. 10,000 activists could put an end to the H-1B program. We need everyone out there to start organizing your fellow programmers or the same thing is going to happen again two years from now.

john miano chairman, the programmer's guild

Oct. 3, 2000 | 7:34 p.m. c.2000 Cox News Service WASHINGTON -- The speed -- and stealth -- with which the House voted Tuesday to increase visas for skilled foreign workers left one lawmaker shaking his head. ``Incredible,'' said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, a major supporter of increased visas. Doggett said the voice vote on a bill to increase H-1B visas for foreign professionals came as such a surprise that only about 40 of 435 lawmakers were there. The GOP leadership's decision to hold a vote on such an important issue with no warning was ``pretty underhanded,'' he said. Doggett, who had co-sponsored a bill to increase the so-called H-1B visas for foreign workers, gave this account of the evening: ``At about 3:30, it was announced that there would be no further votes'' on important issues in the House, he said. Because many lawmakers wanted to get home early to watch the presidential debates, nearly everyone left, he said. ``But at about 5:30, an e-mail was sent over here'' announcing that an H-1B debate would begin shortly. ``I didn't see the email until about 6,'' he said. Doggett said he scurried to the House floor, while other major supporters of the legislation also rushed back to Capitol Hill. Using various procedural moves, the GOP leaders ended the debate quickly and called for a voice vote, even though the House was nearly empty. ``It's a really sorry way to run a railroad,'' he said. ``This was very improper. We needed this bill, but I would hope that...a better job could be done by a new Congress.'' Marilyn Geewax's e-mail address is marilyng(at)coxnews.com

-- K (infosurf@yahoo.com), October 05, 2000

Answers

It would have passed faster and with even less debate if it was a bill giving the b*****d's their own pay raise.

-- PHO (owennos@bigfoot.com), October 05, 2000.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ