Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is doubling down on his assaults in opposition to tech billionaire Elon Musk over H-1B visas, telling him he’s “dead wrong” in regards to the employment visa.
In an op-ed printed Wednesday on Fox Information, Sanders highlighted the continuing debate about H-1B visas and different visitor employee applications as President-elect Trump prepares to implement his immigration plan.
The H-1B visa is a brief, non-immigrant work allow that’s turn into a part of the political debate.
Some say the visa attracts skilled expertise to the U.S., and others say this system permits employers to rent outdoors the nation and pay employees lower than they might in the event that they employed an American citizen.
Musk, who was tapped to co-lead Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” has defended the visa program, arguing corporations can rent employees they want that they will’t discover within the nation. Musk’s social platform X lashed out in opposition to opponents within the debate and Trump got here out in help of this system.
In his op-ed, Sanders highlighted the continuing debate in regards to the work program and Musk’s remarks.
“Billionaires like Elon Musk claim it is crucial to our economy, arguing that the United States faces a shortage of highly skilled engineers and technology professionals,” Sanders wrote. “They are dead wrong.”
Sander mentioned that H-1B visas are usually not supposed to make use of the “best and brightest” however as an alternative change American employees with individuals who could be paid decrease wages and individuals who “often live as indentured servants.”
“The cheaper it is to hire guest workers, the more money the multi-billionaire owners or large corporations make,” Sanders mentioned.
He argued that this system hurts American employees and may also threaten the livelihoods of H-1B visa holders who complain about unfair work circumstances.
“If there is truly a major shortage of skilled tech workers in this country, why did Tesla lay-off over 7,500 American workers last year – including many software developers and engineers at its factory in Austin, Texas – while applying to hire thousands of H-1B guest workers?” Sanders wrote.
It’s not the primary time Sanders slammed Musk over the matter. In an announcement final week, Sanders wrote on X that Musk was incorrect in regards to the visa program.
