Latest news with #TomTiffany
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
H-1B Visa Crackdown Proposed Under Republican Bill: What to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Republican lawmakers are hoping to strip away the H-1B visa exception from college professors and higher education staff. Reps. Tom Tiffany (WI-07) and Andrew Clyde (GA-09) introduced the Colleges for the American People Act, or CAP Act, which would end the long-standing H-1B visa cap exemption for U.S. colleges and universities. If enacted, all prospective foreign hires, including administrators and professors, would be required to compete under the standard 65,000 visa cap. Newsweek has contacted the office of Congressman Tiffany for comment. People arrive before the start of a naturalization ceremony at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami Field Office in Miami. People arrive before the start of a naturalization ceremony at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami Field Office in Miami. Wilfredo Lee/AP Why It Matters Currently, the H-1B visa program has an annual cap of 65,000 visas, with certain exemptions for institutions of higher education and other designated categories. An additional 20,000 visas are available for applicants who hold a master's degree or higher from a U.S. institution. President Donald Trump has previously backed employment-based visas, especially the H-1B program. There has been renewed scrutiny of employment-based immigration as the right is split over H-1B visas, with MAGA-aligned conservatives opposing the program over concerns about job displacement and corporate abuse. Moderate Republicans and tech entrepreneurs see it as a tool to fill critical workforce gaps, particularly in the tech sector. What To Know "American students spend years earning degrees, only to watch universities hand good-paying jobs to foreign workers on special visas," Congressman Tiffany said in a press release. The CAP Act would eliminate the H-1B cap exemption for colleges and universities, requiring them to compete under the same 65,000-visa limit that applies to private-sector employers. Congressman Clyde wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that the bill will encourage higher educational institutions to prioritize American workers. The bill was introduced following a report by news platform Wisconsin Right Now, which found that the University of Wisconsin System employs nearly 500 foreign workers on H-1B visas, with salaries totaling almost $43 million annually. The report also noted rising tuition rates at the same institutions. The legislation would not retroactively affect current visa holders. Universities could continue to extend existing H-1B visas under the current rules until the six-year limit, after which new hires would fall under the cap. This follows reports that the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is considering replacing the current lottery-style H-1B selection system with a "weighted selection process." USCIS received enough petitions to meet the H-1B visa cap as of last week for fiscal year 2026. What People Are Saying Congressman Tiffany said in a statement: "The CAP Act ensures our institutions invest in the people they are meant to serve and ends the backdoor hiring practices that undercut American workers." Congressman Clyde wrote in a post on X: "Universities frequently exploit an H-1B visa loophole to hire foreign workers over Americans."
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Scrap H-1B visa exception: Republicans introduce new bill for prioritizing Americans in universities, ending 'backdoor hiring'
Republican lawmakers introduce a new proposal to end H-1B exception for higher education staff. Amid ongoing aspersions against the H-1B visa program, a new Republican proposal was introduced by Rep Tom Tiffany and Rep Andrew Clyde proposing to scrap the H-1B visa exception for higher education staff. Currently, there is a 65,000-person cap for the H-1B visa and an additional 20,000 persons for those with master's degree and beyond. The "Colleges for the American People Act of 2025" would repeal this additional exception and have those from other countries seeking to work in higher education go through the normal H-1B visa process. "American students spend years earning degrees, only to watch universities hand good-paying jobs to foreign workers on special visas," Tiffany said in a statement. "The CAP Act ensures our institutions invest in the people they are meant to serve and ends the backdoor hiring practices that undercut American workers." The proposal would not be retroactive, so current H-1B visa holders at universities could still apply for their extension without going towards the limit. For fiscal year 2026, US Citizenship and Immigration Services got enough petitions for the H-1B visa caps as of last week. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unsold 2021 Cars Now Almost Free - Prices May Surprise You Unsold Cars | Search Ads Learn More Undo The proposal comes as the DHS is planning to overhaul the H-1B system and replace the lottery with a wage-based selection. The H-1B remained a contentious issue for the Trump administration, as even before his January inauguration, he courted controversy over this visa program. During his last term, DHS issued a rule to base selection in H-1B petitions on the wage offered for a position. But the rule was shelved by the Biden administration. H1-B process explained H-1B is mostly used by Silicon Valley companies but also by higher education institutions. The US employer first offers a job to a foreign worker, then files a labor condition application with the labor department, agreeing to pay the prevailing wage. The employer submits basic details of the person they hired during the registration window. USCIS runs a random lottery to select as it receives far more registrations than its cap. If selected in the lottery, the employer files Form I-129 with USCIS.
Fox News
7 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Key immigration proposal vows to end 'backdoor hiring practices' in American universities
EXCLUSIVE: A new Republican proposal introduced on Wednesday would scrap the H-1B visa exception for higher education staff. There is currently a 65,000-person cap for the visa, with exceptions for higher education and other select groups, including an extra 20,000 that can be doled out to those with master's degrees or beyond. The "Colleges for the American People Act of 2025" from Rep. Tom Tiffany would repeal the carveout made in the Immigration and Nationality Act, and have those from other countries seeking to work in higher education go through the normal H-1B visa process. "American students spend years earning degrees, only to watch universities hand good-paying jobs to foreign workers on special visas," Tiffany said in a statement. "The CAP Act ensures our institutions invest in the people they are meant to serve and ends the backdoor hiring practices that undercut American workers." The proposal would not be retroactive, so current H-1B visa holders at universities could still apply for their extension without going towards the limit. The legislation is co-sponsored by Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Georgia. The conservative outlet Wisconsin Right Now reported that there are 495 staffers in Wisconsin's university system who have the visa, which comes with roughly a $43 million annual price tag for salaries. For fiscal year 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services got enough petitions for the H-1B visa caps as of last week. The visas continue to be a major point of debate across the political spectrum, as some argue that they boost business capabilities in the United States, especially in the technology sector. Others, like Sen. Bernie Sanders, have blasted them as exploitative. "The main function of the H-1B visa program and other guest worker initiatives is not to hire 'the best and the brightest,' but rather to replace good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from abroad," the Vermont senator posted to X in January. "The cheaper the labor they hire, the more money the billionaires make." As of 2019, there were just under 600,000 H-1B visa holders, according to USCIS data. The Trump administration could make other reforms to the program soon, according to GovTech. Besides H-1B visas, student visas in some cases have also recently come under fire, particularly at Harvard University. The State Department announced on Wednesday that they are looking into whether it can continue to be part of the Exchange Visitor Program due to "national security" concerns.
Winnipeg Free Press
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
You don't want smoke? How about a mirror?
Opinion Dear Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, A couple of weeks ago, half a dozen Republicans wrote to Canada's ambassador to the United States to complain about the wildfire smoke that sometimes drifts from our country to yours. According to the Canadian Press and the Associated Press — you know the latter crowd for sure; they're the ones still calling the Gulf of Mexico by its recognized name and not the one declared by your oh-so-capricious president — representatives Tom Tiffany, Brad Finstad, Tom Emmer, Michelle Fischbach, Glenn Grothman and Pete Stauber of Wisconsin and Minnesota are saying that 'successive years of wildfires in Canada have undermined air quality in their states and robbed Americans of their ability to enjoy the summer.' Jacquelyn Martin / The Associated Press U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media, Sunday, July 13. American politicians are complaining about wildfire smoke drifting south. Columnist Pam Frampton points out something just as noxious is drifting north from the U.S. Let me just say right off the bat that we're terribly sorry if our pesky wildfires are interfering with folks' God-given right to play cornhole in the backyard, enjoy a Bud Light on the deck, or set an apple pie out to cool on the kitchen windowsill. Believe it or not, Canadians like those sorts of things, too, of a summer's day. The representatives are demanding answers and action, writing in their letter, 'As we are entering the height of the fire season, we would like to know how your government plans on mitigating wildfires and the smoke that makes its way south.' Well, forgive my boldness, sir, but those remarks seem a little light in the empathy department. Wildfires are caused by many things: some by arson, some accidentally set — by a dropped cigarette, say, or a backyard fire that sends sparks flying into tinder-dry woods — some by Mother Nature messing around with lightning. Some are even started by the sparks from trains. But the underlying factor in all of these is climate change, and the representatives' letter had nary a mention of that. Climate change can bring hotter weather and drought, earlier snow melt and high winds, all of which can set the stage for raging fires. Are there things countries can do to try to lessen the risk? Why of course, and Canada has. I don't mean to boast, but we've won recognition for our work in that regard. The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System, for example, has been adapted by countries outside of our own. (Acknowledging that climate change is real is a good place to start). Those Republic representatives are worried about their constituents' —and presumably their own air quality — and fair enough. But have they given any thought to the thousands of Canadians who have had to flee their homes this summer — 12,000 evacuated in Manitoba alone so far — because of wildfires that are far more present and dangerous than second-hand smoke? And what of those who have lost their lives and properties in the fires here? Do those elected representatives care about their neighbours at all? And speaking of neighbours, your country hasn't exactly been exemplary in that regard of late. With U.S. President Donald Trump turning the tariff screws on Canadian products at every opportunity, you're no longer the ally you once were. Come to think of it, we have a complaint of our own. The squalid nature of politics in your country, sir, is making it difficult for many Canadians to enjoy their summer. Why, we can't even open our newspaper or turn on CBC Radio out on the deck without reading your president's name or hearing his voice. Instead of 'The World This Hour,' CBC might as well call their newscast 'What's Trump Done Today?' Government departments decimated. Massive employee layoffs. Families ripped apart by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Detainees caged in Alligator Alcatraz. Science denounced and underfunded. Bizarre conspiracy theories endorsed and spread by the Oval Office (we hear Joe Biden was executed in 2020 and replaced by a robotic clone). Playing politics with the judiciary. Promises of peace deals that don't materialize. The 'Big Beautiful Bill.' Trump's incessant use of ALL CAPS. The Epstein files. Did we mention the Epstein files? Soon, Canadian children will be tearing off daisy petals to the refrain 'Is there a client list or isn't there a client list?,' instead of 'He loves me, he loves me not.' Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. Enough already. Can you do something about that, Ambassador Hoekstra? Can you take our complaint to the highest levels, as we have done with yours about wildfire smoke? To paraphrase the Republican representatives, we would like to know how your government plans on mitigating the claptrap and twaddle that makes its way north — in all seasons since Trump took office, and not just in summer. Because right now, the president's vapid ramblings, poison politics and social media proclamations are about as welcome as a parade of ants in a potato salad at a picnic. Sincere regards. Pam Frampton lives in St. John's. Email pamelajframpton@ | X: @Pam_Frampton | Bluesky: @ Pam Frampton Pam Frampton is a columnist for the Free Press. She has worked in print media since 1990 and has been offering up her opinions for more than 20 years. Read more about Pam. Pam's columns are built on facts, but offer her personal views through arguments and analysis. Every column Pam produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
7th District's Tom Tiffany teases potential run for Wisconsin governor
WASHINGTON – 7th District Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany has not yet said whether he plans to join the GOP primary for governor. But he's been happy to tease a run after pushing back his timeline for a potential announcement. Tiffany recently tweeted out a picture of himself holding a crappie after a conservative website demanded that "all future Wisconsin gubernatorial candidates prove they know how to hold a fish." And he's hinted at a potential statewide campaign in more concrete ways: The website domain name " leads directly to his current congressional campaign site. That site's homepage labels Tiffany a "proven conservative for Wisconsin." The hints are not unusual or new for the third-term congressman from Wisconsin's northwestern 7th Congressional District, whose office is located in Wausau. But they represent the latest moves for one of the only Republicans still publicly considering a 2026 gubernatorial run. Tiffany recently told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he'd make his decision "after July." Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann was the first Republican to enter the race in May, and Bill Berrien, a Navy SEAL veteran and manufacturing CEO from Whitefish Bay, launched his own campaign earlier this month. State Senate President Mary Felzkowski, former U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde and former U.S. Senate and governor candidate Tim Michels are also considering bids, though Tiffany is the only person in that group to publicly express interest in a gubernatorial campaign. More: Statewide 'Good Trouble' protests include several central Wisconsin events "I'm gonna make a decision after July here, and we'll see," Tiffany told the Journal Sentinel last week when asked about his thinking. He previously said he would make a decision after the April 1 state Supreme Court race before extending that timeline to the summer. "I'm steadily, methodically going through the process." Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is expected to decide whether to seek reelection in the coming weeks. Tiffany has claimed that Evers's decision won't factor into his consideration of a gubernatorial run and said his choice "is not predicated on" who is running on the Republican side, either. "It is, where can I do the most good for the people of the state of Wisconsin? Do I believe I'm the best candidate on our side to be able to win this race? That's the decision points for me," Tiffany said last week. He's repeatedly and publicly attacked Evers on both on social media and in his weekly constituent newsletter over immigration and Democrats' pushback on President Donald Trump's priorities. Still, Tiffany's moves are not new. He previously purchased website domain names as he considered a 2024 U.S. Senate bid against Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, though he never launched a campaign. Multiple local GOP leaders in the 7th District have said they are uncertain Tiffany will make a move for governor. Tiffany raised a little more than $147,000 in the first half of 2025 and had about $124,859 in cash on hand in his House campaign account, according to Federal Election Commission records. Schoemann raised a little over $424,000 since launching his campaign in May, and Berrien's political action committee raked in more than $1 million before Berrien formally entered the race this month. A spokeswoman for Tiffany this week called securing the gubernatorial website domain name "standard practice for campaigns and public officials" and said it would prevent the site "from being used for nefarious purposes." The domain name, she said, was purchased in April 2023 — the same day Tiffany bought the domain names for a potential Senate run. And the campaign threw cold water on any idea that the post featuring Tiffany holding the crappie was a subtle campaign announcement. "Congressman Tiffany has not made a decision regarding a future run," the spokeswoman said on July 21, "and any announcement will come at a later time." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 7th District Rep. Tom Tiffany teases a run for Wisconsin governor
