ARLINGTON, Va. - Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) President and CEO Dave McCurdy today praised the Senate for showing strong bipartisan support of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, S. 2611, which passed the Senate last night by a vote of 62-36 and included provisions addressing U.S. industry's need for highly skilled and educated workers.

"This legislation will help improve the overall competitiveness and viability of the electronics, communications and IT industries by encouraging the creation of high-tech jobs here in the United States and ensuring that our member companies here have access to the most skilled workers in the world," McCurdy said. "It gives certainty to people who have already been approved to work for American companies and provides foreign students of science, engineering and mathematics who earn their degrees in the U.S. the chance to pursue careers here after graduating rather than being forced to leave, as many are today."

Key provision supported by EIA's member companies include:

• raising the cap on H1-B visas for highly educated temporary workers to 115,000 - with a flexible market-based annual adjustment;
• raising the employment-based (EB) visa cap and exempting key categories of workers;
• and including exemptions from both the H1-B cap and the EB visa cap for certain workers who have earned advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.

"The H1-B and EB visa reforms addressed in this bill are also particularly welcome as we near the FY2007 H1-B cap," McCurdy said. "The Senate's legislation will enable the tech industry to maintain a competitive edge as our companies recruit the world's best and brightest engineers, scientists and mathematicians to bolster the economic prosperity of countless Americans."

About EIA: The Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) is the leading advocate in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. high-tech industry. The Alliance, which traces its origins to the Radio Manufacturers Association (chartered in 1924), is a partnership of electronic and high-tech associations and companies whose mission is to promote the market development and competitiveness of the $400 billion U.S. high-tech and electronics industries through domestic and international policy efforts. EIA's corporate members - nearly 1,300 - provide products and services ranging from microscopic electronic components to state-of-the-art defense, space and industry high-tech systems, as well as the full range of telecommunications and consumer electronics products. Headquartered in Arlington, Va., the Alliance is made up of the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA); the Government Electronics & Information Technology Association (GEIA); JEDEC; the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA); and leading consumer electronics companies who participate in EIA's Environmental Issues Council. EIA is also heavily involved in cyber security issues through the Internet Security Alliance (ISAlliance), and education issues, through the National Science & Technology Education Partnership (NSTEP).

Contact Name: Annie Laurie Walters
Contact Email: awalters@crosbyvolmer.com