Congress

Obama Is Silicon Valley's Only Hope For Immigration Reform

Tech needs more workers. Congress has bailed, so it's up to Obama.

Congress is of no use to Silicon Valley.

It's all up to Obama now.

Tech needs immigration reform fast in order to welcome high-skilled workers to the country with visas, and the president is the only hope for change with reform "flam[ing] out in Congress," according to the Hill.

The president has pledged to go it alone on immigration reform of the kind that would help Bay Area tech firms lure the top engineering talent from all over the world.

Tech lobbyists told the news source that Silicon Valley firms have spent "millions" on trying to woo Congress members to touch the immigration issue with no results.

Feasibly, the president could change rules around green cards and make it easier for a new immigrant's family to come along with him or her, the Hill reported.

He could also move H-1B visas through the queue more quickly, one lobbyist guessed.

Republicans took aim at tech's efforts, including the Mark Zuckerberg-funded FWD.us. The Facebook founder's lobby group has spent millions on ads aimed at swaying GOP members of Congress.

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