Eric Thomas or Frances Cox 202-822-9491 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 17, 2007

Compete America Issues Statement on Senate Immigration Bill

Washington, D.C. – Compete America today issued the following statement in response to the comprehensive immigration reform legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate today:

“We remain committed to the successful completion of comprehensive immigration reform.  We are pleased the Senate is prepared to bring a bill to the floor, and we appreciate the bipartisan efforts that have gone into this important legislation.
 
“We have not seen all the details and will withhold comment on specific provisions that affect the innovation economy until we have more information.

“The members of Compete America will continue to seek reforms to ensure that U.S. employers have sufficient access to both temporary and permanent visas that allow for the recruitment and retention of the best talent possible.

“While today's announcement is a very important step toward realizing our goal of an immigration policy that advances the U.S. innovation economy, it involves some potentially troubling proposals that need to be examined closely and tested to ensure that they meet the very real competitive needs that will enable American employers to grow, prosper and support jobs in the United States.

“Compete America is anxious to review the final agreement and will continue to work with the Senate, the House of Representatives and the White House on a comprehensive bill that permanently resolves the crisis facing America’s employers.”

For more information on how highly educated immigration benefits America, please visit www.competeamerica.org.

Compete America (www.competeamerica.org) is a coalition of corporations, educators, research institutions and trade associations concerned about legal, employment-based immigration and committed to ensuring that the United States has the highly educated workforce necessary to ensure continued innovation, job creation and leadership in a worldwide economy.

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