LoginMembers of the so-called "Gang of 8" released their version of comprehensive immigration reform in late April 2013 for consideration by legislators. Senate bill S. 744, better known as Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, calls for the reform of the visa distribution process and increased border security.
Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, a representative of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) urged immigration reform as necessary for the construction industry, but cited some reservations about the newly proposed legislation.
"Despite our efforts to recruit and train American workers through the HBI Job Corps program and other programs, our industry faces a very real impediment to full recovery if work is delayed or even canceled due to worker shortages," NAHB Chairman Rick Judson told Senators. "A new, workable visa program would complement our skills training efforts within the nation's borders, and fill the labor gaps needed to meet the nation's housing needs."
Though the reform proposed in Senate bill S. 744 was hailed by home builders as a good-faith attempt to address the serious problems associated with the immigration issue, they had concerns that as written the proposal will not be workable for the residential construction industry.
Of particular concern was the number of visa's available to unskilled workers, which the NAHB says is still too low.
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