July 31st, 2023 at 02:43 am
US Immigration Reform – Senate Passes Bipartisan Defence Bill | US Immigration
Bipartisan defense legislation passed by the Senate sets up a conflict with the House. The yearly defense policy bill avoids a controversial discussion about service members’ right to abortion.
The bill authorizing 886 billion dollars for national defense for the following year passed by a vote of 86 to 11. It includes investments in drone and hypersonic missile technologies, a 5.2% wage increase for military personnel, and steps to strengthen competitiveness with China.
Republicans in the Senate decided to avoid picking such disputes in that body and shelved measures to limit military personnel’s access to abortion and transgender healthcare. As a result, the legislation is very dissimilar, which may make it challenging for the House and Senate to reach a consensus.
So, something that Congress hasn’t had a problem with in more than 60 years. The partisan race to the bottom we witnessed in the House, where House Republicans are advocating partisan legislation that has little chance of passing, is in sharp contrast to what is taking place in the Senate. “While we are passing significant bipartisan legislation, they are putting partisan bills on the floor that have no chance of passing.
House Republican Leaders
All but four Democrats opposed the bill because House Republican leaders gave in to pressure from right-wing politicians to pack it full of partisan measures. The Pentagon would no longer be able to provide time off and travel reimbursement to service members who must travel outside the country. It would also close its offices for diversity training and terminate military health coverage for treatments related to gender transition.
Democrats have stated categorically the fact that they would never support such legislation. Party leaders in the Senate projected that during talks with the House, they would be able to defend the Pentagon’s abortion access policy. We’re entering the conference with the stance that, in essence, the Senate found the policy “the Department of Defense deems legal and one that should be retained” to be appropriate. The chairman of the Armed Services Committee is a Democratic from Rhode Island.
Abortion and transgender services are not mentioned in the Senate bill. However, it acknowledges Republicans’ repeated concerns that liberal ideas gone awry have assumed control of the Pentagon. In addition to imposing wage limitations and a hiring freeze on posts expressly committed to promoting diversity, it would prevent the Pentagon from requiring individuals to identify their preferred pronouns in official correspondence.
The Biden Administration
In a statement regarding the Senate measure on Thursday, the Biden Administration expressed concern that certain provisions would hinder efforts to support a diverse workforce. President Biden would veto the House bill, according to the White House. The primary Republican criticism of the Senate proposal was that it wasn’t broad enough.
Our Top Line would ideally increase by three to five percent annually above inflation. Even without that budget increase, our committee has advanced a solid, bipartisan product with multiple recommendations for the Biden Administration to improve funding for American submarine production.
The bill makes other provisions of a security agreement between the US, UK, and Australia more feasible. The Pentagon views this agreement as essential to preventing Chinese dominance in the Indo-Pacific region. Biden’s request for defense funding severely understates what is necessary to address the issues his national defense policy recognizes. We must upgrade America’s outdated attack submarine if we’re serious about preventing conflict in the Indo-Pacific. Fleet
American-Ukraine Update
Republicans failed in their attempt to establish a special Inspector General to examine American aid to Ukraine, as provided for in the House measure. Through 2027, the law continues the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, a plan to train and supply Ukrainian soldiers. Additionally, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas’s plan to restore service members was rejected by the Senate.
Strong bipartisan support was given by senators to legislation that would enhance US production of low-enriched uranium and prohibit the sale of fuel from the strategic petroleum reserve to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. By a vote of 65-28, the Senate also decided to make it clear that no president may leave NATO without the support of two-thirds of senators or a congressional act.
Additionally, the Senate added three healthcare-related provisions to the defense bill, voting by lopsided margins to approve money for the treatment of additional September 11 emergency response workers for illnesses they acquired while aiding in rescue operations and to increase the size of a National Cancer Registry for firefighters.
A motion to increase the number of people eligible for compensation for radiation exposure narrowly passed 61-32, barely one vote shy of the required 60 to be included in the bill. Earlier this week, resounding bipartisan majorities approved legislation prohibiting the sale of farms to organizations and citizens of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea to thwart Beijing’s economic development and espionage activities.
Moreover, it mandates the disclosure of any investments made by US citizens and entities in China’s national security sectors. Additionally, the measure contains provisions to assist the Biden Administration in preventing the trafficking of fentanyl into the United States and to advance the Pentagon’s use of artificial intelligence.
The Dignity Act Executive Summary
The comprehensive immigration bill “the Dignity Act” of 2023 was recently submitted to the House. Its goals include reducing illegal migration, providing a solution for undocumented individuals, strengthening the American workforce, and expanding the US economy. To qualify for the Dignity Program and obtain work permits, undocumented immigrants must fulfill various conditions. This includes “restitution” payment to the American Worker Fund to support the reskilling of native-born employees.
Therefore, the American worker fund’s influence would probably be fairly little. To enact comprehensive immigration reform and win support from both parties, this kind of legislative compromise might be required. The Dignity Act of 2023, a comprehensive and bipartisan immigration bill with the objectives of halting illegal immigration, offering a solution to undocumented immigrants currently living in the US, bolstering the American Workforce, and expanding the US economy, was recently introduced by Maria Elvira Salazar.
The majority of the labor provisions in the bill, such as reforms to the H-2A and H-2B guest worker programs and the expansion of employment-based visa options, are certainly all important but are not very novel ideas.
Workforce Development Initiatives
The Workforce Development initiatives have a track record of ineffectiveness and expected to have a negligible positive effect on workers (citizens). This kind of legislative compromise anticipated an address and a perspective that immigration reform ought to augment but not displace native-born labor, making the measure more likely to get bipartisan support. It may be crucial to enact comprehensive immigration reform.
The Dignity Act would establish the seven-year dignity program. Unauthorized immigrants who have resided in the country for more than five years receive a work permit and immunity from deportation proceedings.
With all US rules followed, applicants must pass a background check, pay back taxes, and begin paying income taxes. Individuals would also be liable for $5,000 in “restitution” over the length of the program in addition to an initial punishment.
Following completion of the Dignity Program, participants must choose whether to maintain their dignity status, which allows them to work, dwell, and travel, or sign up for the Redemption Program, which requires an extra $5,000 payment or 200 hours of national community service.
Impact on Native-born Workers
The “restitution” payments demanded under the Dignity and Redemption schemes would go toward an American worker fund that would provide grants to support workforce development programs and apprenticeships. At least one native-born worker might receive training or retraining for employment or career transfer for every $5,000 payout.
Over 79% (8.7 million) of long-term undocumented residents qualify for the program. Even if all eligible undocumented immigrants enroll, only 5.2% of native-born workers can receive training. Table 1 estimates the proportion of retrainable native-born workers based on program enrollment. Historically, Federal Workforce Development programs have shown limited effectiveness, potentially reducing training benefits.
A 2017 Department of Labor analysis found primary job training programs unsatisfactory for employers and job seekers. They were inefficient at raising salaries and had statistically insignificant impacts on estimates. Federally financed training reduced earnings by $638 in high-unemployment areas and increased them by $246 in low-unemployment areas.
A 2019 Council of Economic Advisors report supported this finding. Job training programs, except for the Registered Apprenticeship Program, lack sufficient benefits to justify their costs.
The overall distribution of the Dignity Program’s beneficial impact on Undocumented vs Native-born Workers
Conservatives stress workforce development to mitigate the potential displacement of native-born workers by immigration. Also, the American Worker Fund supports this perspective, increasing bipartisan support for future immigration reform.
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