Internet Entrepreneurs Need STEM-based Immigration Reform, Moran Says
Congress should be increasing the opportunity for Americans to pursue the American dream through technology-focused legislation, said Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., during Tuesday’s State of the Net conference hosted by the Advisory Committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus. Entrepreneurship is the best way to grow the American economy, and Congress should make sure it kills any policies that harm those entrepreneurs, Moran said. Despite the success of last year’s protests against the Stop Online Piracy Act and PROTECT IP Act, “the threat is not yet over” to an open, pro-innovation Internet, he said.
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Legislation to help entrepreneurs may be “held hostage” by lawmakers who want comprehensive immigration reform, Moran said. The STARTUP Act 2.0 -- a bill from the last Congress cosponsored by Moran, Sens. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Chris Coons, D-Del., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Mark Warner, D-Va., and then-Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass. -- would “accelerate the commercialization of research” taking place at U.S. universities, make capital more available to entrepreneurs, create “a regulatory environment that’s not restrictive” and create more opportunity for high-skilled immigrants to stay in the country after educated at U.S. schools, he continued.
Moran has been told that the bill would pass easily if it did not include the piecemeal immigration reform, he said. “I would hate to see, once again, that things we broadly agree upon are never considered because there’s a philosophy around here that if you can’t do everything, you can’t do anything,” he said, asking the industry members in attendance to support the bill when reintroduced.
Attempts to retain high-skilled foreign nationals should be paired with more science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education efforts, said Fred Humphries, Microsoft vice president-U.S. government affairs. Members of the tech industry are eager to fill the talent gap -- Microsoft has 6,300 jobs open in this country, 4,300 of which require engineering or computer science degrees, Humphries said. While industry members and lawmakers have “to get serious about getting high-skilled immigration reform,” it’s important “to tie it to the education component” and encourage American students to get STEM degrees, he said: “We [have to] make it cool” to want to be the next Mark Zuckerberg instead of the next LeBron James.
The fact that President Barack Obama’s inaugural address included comments on the need for high-skilled immigration reform is “a great recognition” of the need for reform, Humphries said. During his address, Obama said immigration reform is needed to retain high-skilled immigrants who get educated at American universities. “I absolutely agree with his comment on that,” Humphries said.