WASHINGTON: Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT) is the latest to join a select group of lawmakers who have introduced legislation to protect American jobs from being taken away by foreign workers. Her proposed bill, targeting the L-1 visas sought by India, is aimed at plugging “the loopholes in the immigration law that allow large corporations to bring in foreign workers, pay them less, and replace good paying American jobs held by American citizens.”

The L-1 visa program allows a multinational corporation to bring into the U.S. employees from overseas subsidiaries on intra-company transfer. DeLauro’s bill seeks to cap L-1 visas to 35,000, which is almost the number of such visas issued under this category in the last decade. It bans blanket petitions to hire L-1 visa workers. It also prohibits L-1 visas to any firm that has laid off an American worker within the preceding six months and for six months after the application is filed. DeLauro recently introduced the “L-1 Non-Immigration Reform Act” which is in effect a follow up of New Jersey Senator Shirley Turner’s efforts to block technology jobs from being shipped to foreign shores, especially India and China. Turner’s bill has not gone anywhere and the Democratic Caucus has voted it out 30-3. Another similar bill, sponsored by John Mica (R-FL) is pending in Congress., and may not see the light of the day.