GOP senators introduce bill to cut immigration, rebuke plans by Jared Kushner
by Daniel Jativa
| April 10, 2019 12:18 PM
| Updated Apr 10, 2019, 02:06 PM
A trio of Senate Republicans are moving to thwart efforts by White House adviser Jared Kushner to issue temporary visas to migrant workers by proposing a plan to reduce the number of legal immigrants entering the U.S.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is reintroducing the "Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act," dubbed the RAISE Act, along with Sens. David Perdue, R-Ga., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo, elected in 2018. The bill would replace the current employment visa framework with a skills-based points system, prioritizing immigrants with U.S.-recognized college degrees, English language skills, high-paying job offers, and financial holdings inside the country.
"Sometimes the president needs to be reminded that he was elected to do something about our immigration problems. The focus is always on the border and points of entry, but his message went beyond that. This is about giving the American worker a fair shake and protecting them from low-skill workers who undercut wages for the average American," one Senate GOP aide involved in pushing the RAISE Act told the Washington Examiner.
"We're ensuring that our federal government is putting American workers ahead of business interests."
The RAISE Act serves as a foil to current efforts from inside the White House, led by Kushner, according to Politico, to increase the number of low- and high-skilled workers permitted to to enter the U.S. to fill needed job vacancies, primarily in the agriculture and hospitality industries. President Trump, while saying he supports higher levels of legal immigration, also endorsed the RAISE Act when it was introduced in the 115th Congress.....
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/gop-senators-introduce-bill-to-cut-immigration-rebuke-plans-by-jared-kushner