Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) announced on November 14th that she is introducing a bill aimed at ending the H-1B visa program, which she describes as enabling the “mass replacement of American workers.”
Greene is rallying against the program, arguing that its elimination is necessary to prioritize American workers in key sectors.
🚫 Details of the Proposed Bill
The core purpose of the bill, according to Greene’s posts on X (formerly Twitter), is to aggressively phase out and eventually eliminate the H-1B system.
- Rationale: Greene claims that sectors like “Big Tech, AI giants, hospitals, and industries across the board have abused the H-1B system to cut out our own people.”
- “Americans First” Stance: Doubling down on her position, Greene stated, “I serve Americans only, and I will ALWAYS put Americans first… That’s why my bill will end H1B visas.”
- Targeted Industries: She explicitly stated that the bill aims to put Americans first again in “tech, healthcare, engineering, manufacturing, and every industry that keeps this country running.”
🇮🇳 Impact on Indian Workers
The H-1B program is crucial for skilled foreign workers, and the potential impact of such a bill would be disproportionately felt by India:
- Dominant Source: According to Pew data, nearly 3 out of every 4 (73%) of H-1B visa holders come from India.
- Second Largest: China is the second-largest source, accounting for 12% of the visa holders.
💬 Trump’s Contrasting View
Greene’s proposal comes despite former President Donald Trump recently appearing to defend the need for the program during an interview on Fox News. When questioned, Trump acknowledged the necessity of skilled immigration:
“No, you don’t, no you don’t. You don’t have certain talents. And people have to learn,” he said, noting that America sometimes does not have “certain talents” and must “bring in talent.”