Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has added to the already effervescent cauldron of the H-1B visa debate by accusing Elon Musk of supporting the visa programme solely as a result of it gives cheaper labour, somewhat than extra expert staff.
He added, “cheaper the labor they rent, the more cash the billionaires make”.
Sanders argued, “The principle operate of the H-1B visa programme is to not rent ‘the most effective and the brightest,’ however somewhat to interchange good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from overseas.”
Elon Musk is mistaken.
The principle operate of the H-1B visa program is to not rent “the most effective and the brightest,” however somewhat to interchange good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from overseas.
The cheaper the labor they rent, the more cash the billionaires make. pic.twitter.com/Mwz7i9TcSM
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 2, 2025
Musk has countered that overseas labor tends to be extra extremely expert, however Sanders challenged this declare by stating that Tesla laid off over 7,500 American staff whereas hiring 1000’s of H-1B visitor staff. Sanders questioned the character of those jobs, highlighting that Tesla employed H-1B staff as affiliate accountants, mechanical engineers, and materials planners for comparatively low wages.
For the reason that previous weeks, there was a deep fissure within the MAGA membership concerning the H-1B visa programme, with far-right political activist Laura Loomer and Trump’s one-time White Home strategist Steve Bannon, criticising the programme about not prioritising American staff. Banon even went as far as to say, “Do not come up and go to the pulpit in your first week right here and begin lecturing folks about the best way issues are going to be. If you are going to do this, we will rip your face off.”
Nonetheless, in a latest put up, Musk defended the H-1B visa programme on social media, “The rationale I am in America together with so many crucial individuals who constructed SpaceX, Tesla and a whole lot of different firms that made America sturdy is due to H1B.”
“I’ll go to struggle on this challenge the likes of which you can not probably comprehend”, he added.
The rationale I am in America together with so many crucial individuals who constructed SpaceX, Tesla and a whole lot of different firms that made America sturdy is due to H1B.
Take an enormous step again and FUCK YOURSELF within the face. I’ll go to struggle on this challenge the likes of which you can not…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 28, 2024
Sanders emphasised that the U.S. wants a extremely expert and well-educated workforce, however this needs to be achieved by hiring certified American staff and investing in training, somewhat than counting on low cost labour from overseas. He pressured, “Backside line. It ought to by no means be cheaper for a company to rent a visitor employee from abroad than an American employee.”
The H-1B visa programme permits employers to rent overseas nationals in specialty occupations, reminiscent of expertise, engineering, and finance. Nonetheless, critics argue that the programme is commonly exploited to rent cheaper overseas labour, somewhat than hiring American staff.
The talk has uncovered deep divisions amongst President-elect Donald Trump’s allies, with some supporting the H-1B visa programme as important for the tech business, whereas others see it as a risk to American jobs. Trump himself has expressed assist for the programme, regardless of beforehand signing an govt order to limit entry to such visas.
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