By Jacqueline Pitts, The Bottom Line
FRANKFORT, Ky. — In a letter sent to Kentucky U.S. Sen. Rand Paul on Monday, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Commerce Lexington, Greater Louisville Inc. and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce urged passage of the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019.
Following the passage of the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier in the month, the groups asked that Paul join the rest of Kentucky’s Congressional delegation in supporting the bill.
The chambers cited the critical role immigrants play in Kentucky’s workforce, pointing to statistics that show while less than four percent of the total population, immigrants make up more than a quarter of the state’s physicians and surgeons, and 17 percent of postsecondary teachers.
“For the Kentucky business community, there is no better time than the present to recognize and support the positive impact immigrants have on the economy,” the groups stated in the letter. “We acknowledge that there may be other opportunities to streamline our immigration system for highly-skilled workers, but voting for the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019 will show our business leaders that Congress is ready to work quickly and efficiently for immigration reform.”
The bill only favors a minority. I don’t see how can be named as fair. The rest of the world will have longer waiting times for the visas.