ImmigrationSenator Hatch champions tech industry’s priorities in immigration reform

Sen. Orrin Hatch proves the quiet leader for the tech industy on immigration reform // Source: senate.gov

As the Senate Judiciary Committee continues to consider the bipartisan immigration reform bill, both supporters and opponents of the bill agree that one senator has emerged as a key voice on the issue: the 79-year old Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).

The New York Times notes the Hatch, facing a tea party challenge in the 2012 GOP Utah primary, ran to the right on the immigration issue, but that both before the 2012 elections and following it, he proved himself closer on these issues to GOP senators such as Marco Rubio (Florida), Jeff Flake (Arizona), Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), and John McCain (Arizona), the four Republican members of the bipartisan Gang of Eight which drafted the immigration overhaul bill.

“Senator Hatch is somebody who understands these issues well, has a long history, and it would very valuable to have him support our bill, both in committee and on the floor,” Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) himself a member of the bipartisan group, told the Times.

Hatch, however, has emerged as a champion of the U.S. technology industry, and while he supports the broad goal of immigration reform, he has insisted on shaping the legislation so it addresses the priorities and preferences of the tech industry, priorities and preferences which he sees as essential not only for the health of the industry, but for the health of the U.S. economy more generally.

Accordingly, Hatch has conditioned his support for the bill on adding to it provisions which will increase the number of temporary visas available for high-skilled workers, and relax restrictions on hiring and firing of workers. Late yesterday, the Judiciary Committee approved these two changes.

Schumer also supports another initiative by Hatch — collecting biometric information at airports to register immigrants when they leave the country.

“I personally believe we need immigration reform,” Hatch told the Times, adding that his suggested changes to the bill are “amendments that clean it up and make it a better bill, and may even be able to get it more votes.” The provisions are also, he explained, a requirement for earning his vote: “They know my point is I’ve got to have those [amendments],” he said.

Utah has been nicknamed the “Silicon Slopes” because of the more than 5,000 high-tech companies based in the state.

“He’s made it clear that having his support will be dependent on the committee accepting his proposals to improve the bill,” Alex Conant, a spokesman for Senator Rubio told theTimes. “We think accepting his improvements and having his support is critical to getting the broad Republican support we want.”

“Senator Hatch has a long history of leadership on high-tech issues,” Dan Turrentine, the vice president of government relations and business development at TechNet told the Times. “His interest in immigration and efforts to ensure the workability of well-intentioned high-skilled reforms proposed by the Gang of Eight makes him a natural to be at the center of negotiations as he seeks to strengthen the bill and broaden support.”

Senate aides said on Monday that Hatch was closing in on a deal with the group.

Some lawmakers welcome Hatch’s general support for the bill, but are worried that accepting all his changes would have a negative impact on American workers.

“Some of [Hatch’s amendment] are absolutely unacceptable,” Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) told the Times. “What he wants to do is make it easier for firms seeking H-1B visas not to hire Americans.”

Durbin said the bill needs all the support it can get, but that there is a limit. “We want all the support we can get, but if the price of support of any Republican member is for us to turn this carefully crafted, politically balanced deal on its head, it’s not worth it.”