As the midterm elections approach, immigration policy is back in the news. With rising migration at the southern border and the Biden administration’s pending decision to lift Title 42 public health restrictions, illegal immigration will likely be a campaign issue in the months ahead. But there’s one aspect of immigration policy that deserves strong bipartisan support: increasing the number of high-skilled immigrants able to work in the United States.
Over the past decade, the U.S. has faced a shortage of workers skilled in science, technology, engineering, and math.
From artificial intelligence and quantum computing to the defense industrial base, our lack of qualified STEM workers has created obstacles and bottlenecks for innovation and growth in high-tech industries. Expansions in domestic semiconductor manufacturing, a priority for both the Biden administration and Congress, face similar obstacles due to high-skilled labor shortages.
Legislation being negotiated between the House and the Senate in a conference committee seeks to boost America’s global competitiveness in key industries. The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act in the Senate and the America COMPETES Act in the House include significant funding for supply chain resiliency and scientific research. The legislation also includes over $50 billion in subsidies to spur investment in domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
Ironically, it is uncertain whether the forthcoming legislation will address the high-skilled labor shortage hindering domestic manufacturing.
The House-passed version of the legislation included a provision to address this problem by removing the statutory immigration limits on workers who hold advanced degrees in STEM fields. This would allow more foreign-born talent to enter the workforce. The Senate-passed version of the legislation did not include this provision.
While immigration has historically been one of the third rails of U.S. politics, improving the nation’s capacity to attract top STEM talent should appeal to policymakers on both sides of the aisle. Put simply, the U.S. needs high-skilled workers. Demand for highly skilled workers far outpaces the domestic supply of STEM graduates from U.S. colleges. The U.S. must open the door to foreign talent if we are to achieve the stated goal of both parties to remain globally competitive.
Unfortunately, without a Senate champion, it is unlikely that the immigration provision will make it into the final bill. The House-passed version was passed along partisan lines, with only one Republican voting in favor. The Senate version went through a less partisan process and received 17 Republican votes. The final bill is likely to include only the provisions that independently made it through both chambers or have a senator willing to stake their vote on a particular provision.
Congress must make reforming our system for high-skilled immigration a bipartisan priority. Hopefully, the immigration provision will find its champion and make it into the final legislation that comes out of conference. If not, similar legislation should be considered in the coming years.
Luke Hogg is a policy manager at the Lincoln Network.
