Insult to Injury

Now, GOP House Members of Congress seek to protect flow of foreign students allowed to work in science and other jobs after graduation.

What about American students?

Hi, John -

Last week I wrote to you about dozens of Republicans and Democrats in Congress who begged the Administration NOT to cut the number of seasonal foreign workers just because 40 million Americans are out of work.

This week's outrage is a letter signed by 21 House Republicans pleading with Pres. Trump to protect the flow of foreign students into U.S. universities in two ways. First, to speed up the issuing of visas for foreign students. Second, by protecting the American-job-killer program called Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Using the OPT program, hundreds of thousands of those foreign students who graduate are given work permits to stay in the United States, take U.S. jobs and undercut American workers in tech and other industries. OPT has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years. It's now almost as large as the H-1B program (for higher-skilled workers).

Help us fight for American workers and students... and for the home-grown expertise to propel our economy through the 21st century!
If your circumstances allow, please donate today!

IF YOU CAN, PLEASE GIVE TODAY!
You can now pay by Paypal or credit card directly on our web page.

[link removed]

OPT gives employers a financial incentive to hire foreign college graduates instead of American graduates. With OPT, employers do not have to pay payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare) and the OPT employees do not have to pay FICA withholding, making foreign employees significantly less expensive to hire. The universities love the OPT program because it lures more foreign students to their schools.

In just the last ten years, 1 million foreign students got their first American job through the OPT program, jobs which could have gone to American science, technology and engineering ("STEM") graduates.

The OPT program bears significant responsibility for the fact that most American STEM graduates don't find jobs in STEM fields -- almost THREE-QUARTERS of STEM college graduates in the U.S. DO NOT WORK IN A STEM FIELD! (source: U.S. Census Bureau)

Last week, President Trump acted to reduce Chinese spying and intellectual theft at universities and corporations working with the OPT program... but only a very few individuals are affected. Many in Congress were greatly alarmed... not at the spying and its threat to American security, but at the notion that President Trump might curtail the OPT program more.

The Congressmen put it in flowing prose such as this: "We urge the administration to publicly clarify that OPT will remain fully intact so we send the right messages abroad about the U.S. as an attractive destination for international students."

Here's my admittedly sarcastic translation of the 21 House Members' letter:

"Mr. President:

"Our universities are now hooked on foreign students paying out-of-state tuition rates. Once those students graduate, courtesy of the OPT program, they can become dirt-cheap lab workers and teaching assistants for our schools!

"So, after weeding out the espionage agents from among the applicants, we insist you continue jamming U.S. universities with profitable foreign students. If the OPT program is cut back, our schools may be forced to look at their own spiraling cost structures, or even to consider how better to serve American students!

"Insincerely yours, etc. etc."

You can read their letter to decide if I'm being unfair.

As long as universities with their allies in Congress keep pushing for more and more foreign students and workers, it's going to be harder and harder for Americans to get these jobs, especially now that we're in an economic crisis.

NumbersUSA is FIGHTING hard against these Members of Congress who want to pretend as if the COVID-19 economic crisis had never come. They want to ignore the biggest need tens of millions of unemployed Americans have right now -- JOBS!!! Again, I call these members of Congress HEARTLESS!

Help us fight for American workers and students... and for the home-grown expertise to propel our economy through the 21st century!
If your circumstances allow, please donate today!

IF YOU CAN, PLEASE GIVE TODAY!
You can now pay by Paypal or credit card directly on our web page.

[link removed]



You can donate three ways:

1) Give via our web page, using your credit card or Paypal.

2) Check -- see the instructions and a form to print out and send with your check.

3) Call (703) 816-8820 to arrange a wire transfer, stock donation, or to make a credit card donation over the phone. If our office is closed, please leave the time and your phone number and we will call back.

Keep the faith and don't ever give up!

Enable Images in Order to View Graphic

Jim Robb
VP Operations

P. S. Want to send me your feedback? I'm glad to hear from you at [email protected].

P. P. S.: Remember, if you are ill, unemployed, or living on a small fixed income, please do not contribute. We only ask for help from those able to help.