Posted by Fred Humphries
Managing Director, US Government Affairs
In a Washington Post op-ed on Friday, Senators Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) issued an urgent call to solve the immense national problems caused by our broken immigration system. Comprehensive immigration reform is essential to America’s economy, security and traditions. The Senators have set out a thoughtful framework recognizing a critical point: a smart immigration system must provide new sources of intellectual capital.
The United States is justly proud of its educational system, and of the spirit and creativity of the American worker. Our history has taught us over and over that, when bright minds from other countries come here to work alongside our citizens, everyone wins. Innovation abounds, our knowledge economy thrives, and jobs become more plentiful.
As the two Senators put it, “Ensuring economic prosperity requires attracting the world's best and brightest. Our legislation would award green cards to immigrants who receive a PhD or master's degree in science, technology, engineering or math from a U.S. university. It makes no sense to educate the world's future inventors and entrepreneurs and then force them to leave when they are able to contribute to our economy.”
America needs comprehensive immigration reform. Microsoft applauds Senators Schumer and Graham for their bipartisan leadership on this critical issue. We welcome the President's commitment to drive bipartisan consensus, and we encourage other leaders from both parties to answer their call. We will continue to work with Congress, the Administration, and other stakeholders to help forge smart, effective reform.
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