This Issue: Here are the GOP Lawmakers who have turned their backs on unemployed American workers . . .

Fri, May 29^th

As the Trump Administration weighs adding guest worker visas to its April 22 executive order that paused several green card categories, and the lifetime work permits that go with them, 47 GOP lawmakers have formally asked Pres. Trump to continue massive, guest worker importation despite nearly 41 million Americans filing for unemployment over the last 10 weeks.

2.1 million more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the overall total to 40.8 million since the start of the pandemic.

Before much of the economy shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 164 million Americans had a job, so the number of Americans who have lost work over the last three months represents 24.8% of the pre-pandemic workforce. Official unemployment numbers for the month of May will be released next Friday, and economists expect the official unemployment rate to exceed 20%.

But earlier this week, a group of nine GOP Senators, who apparently care more about their business-lobby donors than their constituents, sent a letter to Pres. Trump, urging him to maintain the current flow of foreign guest workers.

In part it read:

Some of these struggling small businesses rely on labor that many Americans may not be qualified or able to perform, even in the aftermath of the pandemic, and some of these businesses operate in industry sectors that are not experiencing high unemployment.

The list of signers includes:

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Ak.)
Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Ak.)
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho)
Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.)
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.)
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

HOUSE MEMBERS NOT TO BE OUTDONE

Meanwhile, in the House of Representatives, a group of GOP Members sent their own letter to the White House, asking Pres. Trump to maintain the H-2A and H-2B lower-skilled guest worker programs. The House Members wrote that maintaining these programs would "aid in our nation's efforts towards full economic recovery."

We urge you to maintain the continued, uninterrupted operation of the H-2B program...

Here are the House Members who signed the letter:

Rep. Don Young (R-AK-01)

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01)

Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL-02)

Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL-04)

Rep. Rob Woodall (R-GA-07)

Rep. Roger Marshall (R-KS-01)

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA-03)

Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-LA-05)

Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD-01)

Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI-01)

Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI-02)

Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI-04)

Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI-06)

Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI-07)

Rep. Paul Mitchell (R-MI-10)

Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO-02)

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY-01)

Rep. Peter King (R-NY-02)

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21)

Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC-03)

Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC-07)

Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH-05)

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH-06)

Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH-07)

Rep. David Joyce (R-OH-14)

Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH-15)

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH-16)

Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK-02)

Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK-03)

Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11)

Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14)

Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX-11)

Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD-01)

Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT-02)

Rep. Robert Wittman (R-VA-01)

Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler (R-WA-03)

Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04)

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08)

For those of you who live in these districts and/or states, we've posted new actions on your Action Board that you can send to these Members expressing your disgust in their actions.

If you don't live in one of these areas, we've included the Members' Twitter handles in the story posted on our front page. If you use Twitter, please Tweet your disappointment at these Members.

Chris Chmielenski
NumbersUSA Deputy Director

We need your help to fill in a lot of blanks on nearly 600 congressional races. Yes, nearly 600!

STEP 1: Go to our locator map and check out the Primary candidates for Representative in your own District -- as well as for a Senate race, if your state has one this year.

You'll probably find a lot blanks because most candidates have not taken our survey and we've not come across them taking immigration positions in the media. In general, you can assume the blanks are masking a poor or bad position. Let's unmask them.

STEP 2: Email Joe by clicking here if you see any comment about one of those candidates taking an immigration position in the newspaper or on the internet. Pay special attention to candidates who are considered competitive for possibly winning the Primary.

Many primaries have been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but we continue to add races to our candidate comparison pages.

Politico: On a story about Pres. Trump's immigration executive order, Politico wrote:

Hardline groups lobbied, too. NumbersUSA, which supports immigration restrictions, has been using the hashtag #expandtheban to alert supporters, specifically calling out Wolf, who once lobbied for an association that wanted to keep a visa program for foreign workers.

Breitbart: Rosemary commented on the biz lobby pushing for continuing foreign worker importation:

"The 'unintended consequences' these cheap labor advocates fear if guest worker visas are curtailed are having to hire American workers at livable wages," said Rosemary Jenks, government relations chief at NumbersUSA. Her group favors a national policy of lower immigration and higher wages.

Livable wages are "a consequence we should not only support but demand," she added.

Cheap Labor Lobbyists: 40 Million in U.S. Out of Work Proof of 'Worker Shortage'

Eric Ruark

Fri, May 29^th

Sadly, but not surprisingly, over the past few weeks we have seen a great deal of effort expended by D.C. lobbyists calling for more foreign workers to be admitted into the United States.

GOP Lawmakers turn backs on American Worker, send letters to Trump asking for more foreign workers

Thu, May 28^th

A group of Republican lawmakers is asking the Trump administration to reject their Buy American, Hire American - America First mantra and actively undermine the nearly 40 million Americans who are out of work due to the panic surrounding COVID-19, in two letters the lawmakers demand that the President protect and ensure that millions of foreign visa workers will flood the labor market this year, as unemployment soars past Great Depression levels.

Unemployment Claims Exceed 40 Million During Crisis

Thu, May 28^th

Another 2.1 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, according to new data released by the Department of Labor earlier today. Last week's claims bring total unemployment claims over the last 10 weeks as a result of government shutdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic to 40.8 million.

Bipartisan Group Leads Attempt to Overhaul H-1B, L-1 Visa Programs

Tue, May 26^th

Companion bills have been introduced in Congress aimed at reforming H-1B and L-1 guest worker programs. While the sponsors tout these bills as a "complete overhaul" which would "protect American workers and crack-down on foreign outsourcing companies which deprive qualified Americans of high-skill jobs" there are some aspects of the bill which don't live up to the hype.

Did They Die For Open Borders? Memorial Day raises questions about U.S. government's commitment to national community

Roy Beck

Mon, May 25^th

Did all those who died in foreign lands this last year, as well as in America near our own borders, accept the possibility of the supreme sacrifice for just some vague concept of a country?