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Monday, January 27, 2020

Harris Leads Effort to Acquire Additional H-2B Visas


WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) is leading an effort to urge the Administration to grant additional H-2B Visas. Rep. Harris organized a bipartisan letter signed by 151 Members of Congress and 37 Senators, requesting the release of 64,716 additional visas. These guest worker visas provide temporary, seasonal workers to employers who are unable to hire employees locally. The visas are utilized extensively by seafood processors and crab houses, among others, on the Eastern Shore.

The H-2B program provides visas for temporary work in seasonal, non-agricultural industries and is subject to an annual cap of 66,000 visas. The FY 2020 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, passed in December 2019, provides the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, the authority to release an additional 64,716 H-2B visas for FY 2020 should they find that the needs of American businesses cannot be satisfied in fiscal year 2020 with United States workers who are willing, qualified, and able to perform temporary nonagricultural labor.

Rep. Andy Harris made the following statement:

“Today I sent a letter with 188 of my colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, from both the House and Senate, urging the Administration to grant additional H-2B visas. As a member of the Committee on Appropriations, I coauthored the amendment in the FY 2020 Appropriations bill that authorized the additional visas. These guest workers are crucial to the economy of Maryland’s First District, particularly on the Eastern Shore, and support thousands of American jobs. While it is ultimately the responsibility of Congress to provide a long term solution to the chronic shortage of H-2B visas, I strongly urge the administration to use the authority granted to them to release the maximum number of additional visas. The bipartisan support for this program demonstrates how crucial it is for our local employers and the American employees supported by the temporary assistance. This program helps sustain our local economy and crab houses, and I will continue to work as an advocate for employers and employees in the First District and on the Eastern Shore.”

12 comments:

  1. i call bs! will be calling mr harris office!

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  2. Instead of spending money, they should save it and generate it!

    Cut these visas!
    Cut back welfare and food stamps for able-bodied adults!
    Make the able-bodied adults take these jobs - the market will make the crab-processors pay a better wage - to take care of the able-bodied adults!

    Yup, our crab prices will go up - but the economy will be improved for citizens - that will have jobs - and won't be leeches sucking on society!

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  3. And why are you calling BS? The shortage on these visas rally hurt the crabbing industry here when they could not hire local workers period.

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  4. The locals were too lazy to pick crabs. We need these visas or pick your own and forget about buying crab meat.

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  5. welfare pays better than picking crabs does. does picking crabs give you free healthcare? does picking crabs give you free food? does picking crabs give you cash assistance and reduced housing costs? welfare does!
    welfare people use their EBT cards to BUY steamed crabs and crab meat so why would they want to get a job picking crabs and give up the free healthcare, the free food, the free cash assistance and reduced housing costs, and not be able to afford to buy crabs???
    importing 3rd world people to pick crabs and pay them less than what welfare people get for free seems abusive and immoral to me.

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  6. Deport her & the Visas !!!!

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  7. I say cut the welfare and watch the line form for these jobs

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  8. Try training Veterans who need a job and respect.

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  9. The people who have a EBT card can go purchase crabs on the card and pay them $1.00 to steam them. This is crazy!!! Just go to One Fish here in Salisbury and see for yourself.

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  10. I have seen an ad for crab pickers exactly once, & they wanted experienced workers. How exactly does one get commercial experience, then? Are these migrants experienced? Local CITIZENS don't get a chance. What, some locals didn't work out how many years ago, so obviously no one wants the jobs? Pffft! SMH

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  11. Two words......Labor Trafficking

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