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Bernie Sanders appeals senate for H-1B amendment to support American workers
Sanders criticized the current structure of the H-1B program, describing it as a tool used by corporations to replace well-paying American jobs with lower-paid foreign labor.
Senator Bernie Sanders. / Image- Wikipedia
Bernie Sanders, senator from Vermont, called on his Senate colleagues on Jan. 14 to support his proposed amendment to the Laken Riley Act, which aims to reform the H-1B visa program to prioritize American workers.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Sanders outlined the objectives of his amendment, emphasizing that corporations should never find it cheaper to hire foreign guest workers over American employees.
Sanders criticized the current structure of the H-1B program, describing it as a tool used by corporations to replace well-paying American jobs with lower-paid foreign labor. “The main function of the H-1B program is not to hire ‘the best and the brightest,’ but rather to replace good-paying American jobs with hundreds of thousands of lower-paid guest workers from abroad who are often treated as indentured servants,” he said.
I’m LIVE on the Senate floor to discuss the H-1B program, which replaces good-paying American jobs with hundreds of thousands of lower-paid guest workers from abroad who are often treated as indentured servants. That must change. https://t.co/7NJnayHK8P
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 15, 2025
Citing data from the Economic Policy Institute, Sanders noted that between 2022 and 2023, the top 30 companies using the H-1B program laid off 85,000 American workers while simultaneously hiring over 34,000 guest workers. He argued that such practices undermine the wages and employment opportunities of American workers, particularly in the technology sector.
The amendment, as Sanders explained, seeks to address these issues through several key provisions. It would double the fees corporations pay to hire H-1B workers, generating over $370 million annually to fund nearly 20,000 scholarships for American students pursuing advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Additionally, the amendment would require companies to pay H-1B workers at least the median local wage, ensuring that the program does not undercut salaries of American workers.
The proposal also includes measures to prohibit companies from replacing laid-off American employees with H-1B workers and seeks to end the practice of treating H-1B employees as indentured labor by making their visas portable, allowing them to change jobs freely.
Sanders cited examples of wage disparities to underscore the flaws of the current system, stating that in Dallas, H-1B software developers are paid $44,000 less than their American counterparts. Similarly, H-1B accountants in Houston earn nearly $40,000 less than American accountants, and in Santa Barbara, California, H-1B computer systems engineers make just $45,000 annually compared to the median salary of $110,000 for their American peers, he said.
“These figures tell us why corporations love the H-1B program,” Sanders stated. “They are using it to substantially undercut the wages of American workers.”
Sanders also criticized major tech companies like Tesla, accusing them of hypocrisy. “If there is truly a major shortage of skilled tech workers in this country, as Mr. Musk has argued, why did Tesla lay off over 7,500 American workers last year – including many software developers and engineers – while applying to hire thousands of H-1B guest workers?” he asked.
The Vermont senator argued that the solution to workforce challenges lies not in importing cheaper labor but in investing in American workers and education. “It must never be cheaper for a corporation to hire a guest worker from overseas than an American worker at home,” he said, urging his colleagues to stand with American workers by supporting the amendment.
Sanders concluded by calling for a roll call vote on the amendment and emphasized the need for transparency on where senators stand on the issue. He expressed hope that Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s recent commitment to increasing amendment votes in the Senate would apply to his proposal.
“The time has come for the American people to know which side their Senators stand on this issue,” Sanders said, reiterating his commitment to economic reforms that benefit working families.
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