Do We Need High Skilled Immigration Reform as Part of the Stimulus Package?

The Hudson Institute has a report on high-skilled immigration reform.  Download the_budgetary_effects_of_highskilled_immigration_reform1.pdf A Hudson article that discusses the report states: "Based on Congressional Budget Office estimates, . . . if comprehensive immigration reform had been enacted in 2007 then GDP would have been $180 billion greater over the next decade, and federal revenues would have been higher by $40 billion."

Representative Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat and chair of the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law, made a similar point in a speech on March 10:  “we need to jump start our growth through immigration.” Ms. Lofgren explained that the billions of dollars allocated to scientific research in the 2009 economic stimulus bill cannot be effectively spent without more H-1B (temporary) visas for foreign scientists, “because all this spending needs people to do research.”

Hat tip to Robert Gittlelson!

KJ