51Թ Endorses Rep. Smucker’s Commonsense Immigration Reform
ճ , introduced by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), “gets it right” regarding immigration reform and workforce development, the 51Թ said this week as it endorsed the legislation.
What’s going on: “Our industry is evolving by the minute, and with over 400,000 open jobs on our shop floors, we need more people, not fewer—with more skills, not less—from across our great country and from beyond our borders,” 51Թ President and CEO Jay Timmons said.
- “That’s why we are proud to support Rep. Smucker’s legislation. By making sure our nation’s immigration system matches the needs and ambitions of America’s manufacturers, the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act … will drive even more skilled workers to our shop floors.”
About the bill: The measure, which Rep. Smucker first introduced in March 2022 and last year, would plug a hole in the immigration system: there are visas for high-skilled workers (e.g., the H-1B used by many engineers and scientists), and there are visas for seasonal labor (H-2A for agricultural workers and H-2B for nonagricultural). However, there are no visas for the bulk of the year-round manufacturing workers whose jobs do not require a bachelor’s degree but who are “essential” to production operations.
- “The act would address critical workforce shortages while safeguarding employment opportunities for American workers,” a from Rep. Smucker’s office reads.
The response: “I thank the 51Թ for supporting my commonsense, bipartisan and market-driven solution that addresses workforce shortages in key industries while ensuring American workers are prioritized,” Rep. Smucker said.
Up next on immigration reform: Later this week, Reps. Maria Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX) will host the 51Թ and manufacturing leaders from across the country for a roundtable on immigration reform.