http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_7091661

Republicans urge action on tech issues
CALL FOR MORE H-1B VISAS
By Frank Davies
Mercury News Washington Bureau
Article Launched: 10/05/2007 01:36:07 AM PDT

WASHINGTON - Worried that Democrats in Congress were getting too much credit for leadership on tech-industry issues, GOP House leaders Thursday pressed Speaker Nancy Pelosi to move quickly on several tech priorities, including allowing more skilled workers from overseas.
In a letter to Pelosi, D-San Francisco, Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, and at least 30 other Republicans also called for quick action on making the Internet tax moratorium permanent. The moratorium, which bars state and local governments from taxing e-commerce and Internet access, expires Nov. 1.
In addition, Republicans want an expanded research-and-development tax credit, building on an increase enacted last year, and a renewed effort to encourage the use of electronic medical records.
"These are dire needs, and we want to keep America competitive," said Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., who has worked on tech issues for years. "The speaker has talked about some of these issues, but not enough has been done."
Democrats responded swiftly, saying they welcomed GOP support. "They were in power 12 years, and we've passed important legislation in 30 weeks," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, citing patent reform and more funding for science and math education and for basic research.
[b]The significance of the GOP letter is that it indicates some Republican support for more H-1B visas and green cards for foreign workers - a major legislative goal of tech companies that has


been tied up in the highly charged debate over immigration[/b].
Goodlatte said more House members are realizing that an unrealistic limit on visas for skilled workers is another reason companies set up offices overseas. Allowing more skilled foreign workers into the United States helps keep jobs, he said.
"We must enact legislation to allow U.S. companies to attract and retain high-skilled workers to contribute and excel in the U.S. economy without unnecessary delays and waiting periods," the GOP leaders wrote in the letter.
Lofgren, who hopes to push for a visa increase soon, said the GOP letter reveals some new supporters.
"Some names on there have never been allies on immigration reform," Lofgren said. "I'm glad to be surprised."
lobbyist, Ralph Hellmann, said "competition is a good thing" when both parties vie for credit in backing parts of the tech agenda.
"Having Boehner and Pelosi spar over who is committed most to the tech community is a healthy atmosphere to be in," Hellmann said. "We just hope the competition leads to action on many of these items."
GOP leaders in the House now see a good issue in pushing for making the Internet tax moratorium permanent. Democrats in the House Judiciary Committee held off on a bill to do that, and several senators - including Republican Lamar Alexander of Tennessee - are blocking it in the Senate.
Some senators and House members want to extend the moratorium for several years but not make it permanent, so they can review it in the future.
Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, is sponsor of a bill to make the moratorium permanent. Three GOP House leaders who signed the letter joined as co-sponsors on her bill in the past week - Boehner, Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri and Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia.
Frank Davies can be reached at [email protected] or (202) 662-8921.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then they should be more open to dream act then shouldn't they??? I hope the house ties the dream act to the h1-b visa increases. That would be great.