On Thursday, March 14 at 10:00 a.m., the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, chaired by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), will hold a hearing entitled “Examining the Role of Lower-Skilled Guest Worker Programs in Today’s Economy." The hearing will take place in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
The Immigration and Nationality Act includes a number of guest worker visa programs, such as the H-1B program for highly-skilled workers and the H-2B program for temporary non-agricultural workers. The H-2B program specifically is intended to meet the workforce demands for lower-skilled jobs. Under the program, the Department of Labor is responsible for enforcing wage and employment opportunity protections for American workers.
A number of concerns have been raised about current guest worker programs. For example, recent regulatory and enforcement changes by the Obama administration may make it more difficult for employers to benefit from the system in a timely manner. Additionally, guest worker programs may be too limited to meet future workforce demands.
Thursday’s hearing will give members an opportunity to discuss these and other concerns, as well as whether current guest worker programs are meeting the needs of today’s workers and employers. To learn more about this hearing, visit www.republicans-edlabor.house.gov/hearings. WITNESS LIST
Laura Foote Reiff
Co-managing Shareholder
Greenberg Traurig LLP
Tysons Corner, VA
Fred Benjamin
Chief Operating Officer
Medicalodges, Inc.
Coffeyville, KS
Dan Musser, III
President
Grand Hotel
Mackinac Island, MI
Mary Bauer
Legal Director
Southern Poverty Law Center
Montgomery, AL
