H-2B Hope Resurges

Supporters of the H-2B guest worker program have planned an “emergency” Washington fly-in on Wednesday to push for a last-minute fix to the visa shortage.

The H-2B advocacy group Save Small Business announced the fly-in a day after U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) introduced a measure that could force consideration of the H-2B returning-worker exemption, which U.S. Rep. Bart Stupuk (D-Mich.) introduced last March.

H-2B supporters also hope to piggyback on Beltway talk of other possible immigration legislation, though none in the scope of last year’s comprehensive immigration reform bill. “The word in Washington is simple: the House of Representatives is seriously discussing extending the H-2B returning-worker exemption,” said Hank Lavery, president of Save Small Business, in a March 5 message on the group’s Web site.

The Boustany measure, H. Res. 1025, could force a vote on Stupak’s year-old bill, also known as the Save Small Business Act, which would make the H-2B returning-worker exemption permanent. To date, Stupak’s bill and other attempts to relax the H-2B program’s cap of 66,000 workers have been stifled by the greater immigration debate and opposition from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The 21-member caucus has opposed any piecemeal immigration-related legislation, preferring to pass these measures only in a comprehensive bill.

Boustany’s measure was referred to the House Rules Committee, which has seven legislative days to decide whether to force a vote on the bill. The House is scheduled for a two-week recess beginning March 17, which means the committee may not have to act until early April. If the committee does not choose to bring H. Res. 1025 to a vote, the measure is eligible for a discharge petition, which means Boustany could force a vote on the issue if he collects the signatures of 218 House members.

The Save Small Business Fly-In will convene in the Longworth House Office Building cafeteria at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 12. For more information, visit www.savesmallbusiness.org.