House votes down motion to increase foreign workers with no visa offsets
During consideration of H.R. 6429, a bill that would replace the Visa Lottery with green cards for foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges or universities with an advanced degree in a STEM field, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) raised a motion to replace the bill with another version that would increase foreign worker visas with no offsets. The House, however, voted, with bipartisan support, to keep the existing version of the bill, with the visa offsets, intact.
The motion failed with 231 voting against and 157 voting for the motion to recommit the bill, which would replace it with the Lofgren version.
All Republicans who voted, voted against the motion. They were joined by 5 Democrats, including Reps. John Barrow of Georgia, Peter DeFazio of Oregon, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Tim Matheson of Utah, and Brad Sherman of California.
To see the full roll call vote, click here.
Shortly after the motion by Rep. Lofgren and the subsequent vote, the House voted on final passage of H.R. 6429. The bill passed 245-to-139. The bill eliminates the Visa Lottery and replaces it with up to 55,000 green cards for graduates of advanced degrees in STEM. The bill includes several worker-protection provisions to ensure that green cards are only offered to fill jobs where no American worker is available.
Twenty-seven Democrats joined 218 Republicans in favor of the bill. 134 Democrats and 5 Republicans, including Reps. Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania, John Campbell of California, Jeff Denham of California, Doc Hastings of Washington, and Walter Jones of North Carolina.
To see the full roll call vote of the final passage, click here.