Omnibus Funding Bill Sparks Outrage Over Immigration and Refugee Provisions

Strategic Insights -

The omnibus funding bill, despite its potential to address pressing government needs, has been met with outrage from Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) over its provisions related to immigration and refugees. The Senator, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest, has expressed deep concerns over the bill's impact on American workers and security. Sessions warns that the bill would fund Sanctuary Cities, increase refugee admissions, and quadruple a foreign worker program that replaces Americans in certain occupations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The omnibus funding bill contains a provision that would increase the number of low-wage foreign workers provided to employers under the H-2B visa program by as much as four-fold.
  • This increase would bring in millions of foreign workers to fill blue-collar non-farm jobs in hotels, restaurants, construction, truck driving, and other occupations sought by millions of Americans.
  • The Economic Policy Institute has noted that wages were stagnant or declining for workers in all of the top 15 H-2B occupations between 2004 and 2014, and unemployment rates increased in all but one of these occupations over the same period.
  • The provision is part of a larger immigration agenda that would also fund the President's refugee expansion, allowing him to bring in as many refugees as he wants from anywhere in the world.
  • The bill would also fund Sanctuary Cities and illegal alien resettlement, allowing the President to continue issuing visas to countries that refuse to repatriate violent criminal aliens.
  • The provision is seen as a betrayal of the voters who put Republicans in power in the 2014 midterm elections, as it goes against their expressed desire to reduce immigration.
  • The bill has been criticized for its lack of conditions on the President's refugee expansion, which would result in at least 170,000 green card, refugee, and asylum approvals issued to migrants from Muslim countries within the next 12 months.

Statistics:

  • The omnibus funding bill would increase the number of low-wage foreign workers provided to employers under the H-2B visa program by as much as four-fold.
  • Wages were stagnant or declining for workers in all of the top 15 H-2B occupations between 2004 and 2014.
  • Unemployment rates increased in all but one of the top 15 H-2B occupations between 2004 and 2014.
  • 170,000 green card, refugee, and asylum approvals are expected to be issued to migrants from Muslim countries within the next 12 months.

Sources:

  • Statement by Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
  • Economic Policy Institute
  • Breitbart News Network
  • National Review